Our second self portrait project has been completed and now we have the joy of appreciating the progress we have made throughout the school year thus far. Every time I admire these artists' work, I discover something new to appreciate; the heart detail on a child's shirt, the signature bun hairstyle, a turned up smile. But why self portraits? Below I explain the significance of self portraiture and the process that went into creating them.
Significance
Self Concept: To me, this is the most profound benefit of self portraiture. These brave three and four-year-olds are building their self identity by learning about who they are and what makes them unique. They are accepting themselves in their purest form and are discovering what is important to them. The process of exploring "me-ness," a term founded by Loris Mallaguzzi, allows children to feel confident in their individuality. This also creates a new opportunity for adults to view the child as they see themselves. Their self portrait represents how they hope to present themselves to the world.
Fine Motor Coordination: Self portraiture requires fine motor skills. The beauty of doing this project twice in one year is that we can quite clearly compare the students' fine motor skills from the last few months. Thanks to our countless fine motor activities, each student made huge growth in their project. Fine motor skills don't just benefit drawing and writing. We also use these skills in tasks such as brushing our teeth, using scissors, and buttoning our clothes.
Observation and Focus: Self portraiture also challenges children's observational skills and concentration. The practice of observing details closely improves their attention to detail while also separating parts from the whole. Because of this attention to detail, our projects required lots of focus and concentration. We noticed huge growth in both of these skills.
Communication: Conversation surrounding self portraits greatly expands children's vocabulary and communication skills. Discussions of shape and body parts develop a wider vocabulary. Additionally, children develop emotional literacy, which is the ability to understand and express feelings. For example, children associate "I'm always happy" to "I need to draw myself smiling in my self portrait."This also allows for children to practice affirmations. They begin to appreciate each other and themselves by stating "I am an artist" or "I choose to be happy."
Process
To begin, we form conversation surrounding our classroom community. We discuss our similarities, our differences, and what we love about ourselves. We introduce literature, such as "All About Faces" by La Zoo, "What I Like About Me!" by Allia Zobel-Nolan and "Faces" by David Goodman and Zoe Miller. We reintroduce the idea of shape and use mirrors to consider what shapes we see on our faces. When we feel confident to move onto the drawing board, the one-on-one project begins. Each student was coached by either myself or my co-teacher for this project. To start, the materials needed include watercolor paper, sharpies (both regular-sized and fine-point), and mirrors. We also had on display our supporting literature, a wooden figure model, and a toy baby. From here, we allow the students to work freely on their self portrait while the teacher supports them. When the portrait is complete, we are ready for paint. We used a variety of watercolors to complete the project. We gave students the freedom to choose one or two colors, while the teacher chose a complimentary color for the art piece. After drying, our artwork is complete and we can step back to appreciate. We did this process both in the beginning of the school year and again in February.
I'd love to hear what you notice and appreciate about our artists' self portraits.
Keep exploring your "me-ness,"
Ms. E Warner
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