Using Kids’ Art to Convey Emotions

Communicating Without WordsTo demonstrate to adults just how difficult it is for kids to express complex affective concepts, a group of early childhood education students at the University of Central Florida were asked to carry out an experiment. The students paired up and one member of each pair was given a narrative of a scenario and particular emotional responses drawn by that event. Below is one example of a situation used and the subsequent emotional responses:Last night you and your husband got into an awful row over the time you spend preparing for school. He thinks you are not paid sufficient to work outside of school for hours gathering materials for art projects, cutting out pictures from magazines, taping music sections, sewing hand puppets, and the like.You were sitting at the dining room table engrossed in making a chart for a song you were going to teach the kids. You had some really fun ideas for pictures that would give clues for the words and had just started to sketch them in when your husband, who had been trying to get the dishwasher to work, came over to the table and said, "What the heck are you spending your time on now? You could be washing the dishes instead of letting them pile up! But no, those darn kids are more essential to you than your own family! Why can't you do for us like you do for them?"You said, "Don't blame me for the loads of dishes! If you had spent Monday night working on the dishwasher instead of watching the football game, the dishes would be done. But, no, your darling Dolphins means more to you than I do. You don't care that I work all day and then have to come home, cook dinner, do the dishes, clean the house, do the laundry, help the kids with their homework, and still get ready for school! I wish just once you'd do something when you were supposed to!" The verbal abuse went on until you were in tears and your husband was so angry that he took one of your favorite china cups and threw it against the wall. You haven't spoken to each other since. You are feeling angry and hurt that he doesn't appreciate your desire to do a good job of teaching. You are also embarrassed of the way you behaved and the revolting words that you said. You wish you could go back to last night and remove the whole thing, but of course you can't. You are definitely dreading going home.Each student who had been given a scenario to explain was also given the vocabulary he or she could use to express the problems and the feelings. The words provided for this scenario were 'Daddy, ouch, pretty picture, frown face, me, bad, book, big, little, jump, go, fast, look, see, make, sorry, no-no, bowl, TV, home, and scared.' The students were also instructed that they could use any essential articles, conjunctions, and 'to be' verbs to build simple sentences.' The speaker had to try to articulate the message with words only. The listener was to be a lively listener, trying to understand the message.The students had considerable problems with the task. While some were able to communicate at least a part of the message, others were totally incapable to communicate the various components of the scene or the feelings involved. Next the partners switched places and a new scenario was given to the partner. However, this time the new speakers were allowed to draw pictures or use signs to help converse the events and the emotions involved. Nearly every listener got the message and many understood vivid details. Another observation was that the 'listener/viewer' has to be mainly attentive and an active participant in the process, but that it was easier to get the message when additional modes of communication were used.Emotions and LearningMany nursery teacher training course educators of young kids may be eager to recognize that their classrooms are filled with little people whose vocabularies are limited, but whose cruel experiences are not. And most agree that kids have limited vocal skills for expressing those hurts. Some, however, may wonder about the importance of these understandings in terms of the educational development of the child.It becomes difficult for kids to react when they are inundated by hurts. They just can't think. If kids are going to do their best in school settings - or any settings, for that matter - they are going to have to have opportunities and skills for dealing with their feelings, their emotions, their pain. All of their energy is focused on dealing with their pain, their emotions, and their overall feelings of terror.How Art Can Help by early childhood educationOne way for kids to get out of their limbic system is by communicating their feelings through words, drawing, or movement. Another way is just by using a mode of expression, such as drawing, as a catharsis to clean themselves of irresistible emotions.In a time when "back to the basics" has placed increasing stress on early childhood educators to stress academics or at least pre-academics, it is significant to provide sufficient time for kids to communicate themselves through the arts, an suitable place for the expression, plenty of materials, and a safe and accepting environment.