How to Talk to Children about their Art Work

Parents and teachers sometimes are not sure about what to say when they see the artwork of children. Adults can show respect by the way they look at and handle their children’s art. We often make value judgments, such as, “Oh it’s so beautiful, pretty…” but this has little meaning to a child who has been concentrating on the physical sensation of the material. It is meaningful to make descriptive comments about the child’s work:

“Let’s look. Where did you make lines? How did you make these lines?”

“I can see that you mixed colors.”

“How did you make this color?”

“I noticed that you painted inside all your shapes.”

“Tell me about these shapes, they look very different from those shapes.”

Descriptive comments bring to his or her awareness the consequences of his or her physical experiments. Your comments are highly valued by your children.

A great question is, “Can you tell me about your work?”

This question allows the child to say whatever is on their mind about their work.  It also prevents us (adults) from assuming that we know what the child has made.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.