Core Skills Analysis
Visual Arts
The child used a platform art activity with Lauren as part of an art elective. This gave the child an opportunity to engage with art through a guided platform-based experience. By participating, the child practiced attending to an art activity and exploring visual arts as a subject. At age five, the child could begin connecting art experiences with curiosity, creative expression, and learning alongside another person.
Tips
Tips Continue the art exploration by inviting the child to create an artwork inspired by the platform activity, then describe the colors, shapes, or ideas chosen. Offer familiar art materials such as crayons, collage paper, or modeling clay so the child can represent an idea in different ways. Make a small gallery at home and invite Lauren or family members to share observations and ask the child about the creative choices. A follow-up art session could compare two artworks and encourage the child to notice what looks similar or different.
Book Recommendations
- The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds: A picture book about a child discovering confidence and creative possibility through making art.
- Ish by Peter H. Reynolds: A story that encourages children to enjoy imaginative art-making rather than aiming for perfect results.
- The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaola: A story about a young child’s enthusiasm for art and learning to make pictures.
Learning Standards
- Common Core State Standards — Speaking and Listening, SL.K.1: The art activity can support participation in a shared learning experience and discussion about ideas, when the child talks about the activity with Lauren or others.
- Common Core State Standards — Speaking and Listening, SL.K.4: The child can practice describing an artwork or creative choice with prompting and support.
- Common Core State Standards — Language, L.K.5: Discussing artwork can build understanding of words that describe colors, shapes, and visual details.
These are related communication and vocabulary standards; the activity itself is specifically an art elective rather than a Common Core visual-arts standard.
Try This Next
- Create an artwork inspired by the platform activity and give it a title.
- Draw a picture using three chosen colors, then tell someone why those colors were selected.
- Make a simple art observation card: name one shape, one color, and one detail noticed in an artwork.