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A Study in Mark-Making: Children’s Creative Development & Monochromatic Art

  Working on dark-coloured paper is a fascinating study in mark-making and tonality. When you limit the palette to a single colour, the focus shifts to how the materials are explored and manipulated, and to the relationship between the artist and the medium. Over the holidays, we explored drawing on black paper with white markers. It reminded me of the time the children investigated white as a colour. The materials offered were black paper, white-coloured pencils, white oil pastels, white crayons, and white paint.  Through the process of creating with these materials, children learn that pressure, movement, and time shape the outcome of their mark-making. The journey of exploring how materials interact drives children’s early art explorations. Often, you can observe children working with materials until the paper becomes saturated, ripped, and muddied with colour. This is part of a developmental experience that deepens as children nurture their understanding of how materials...
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Simple Sorting Play for Children


As children sort objects they begin to take notice of the attributes of materials and make decisions. Within the learning environment, we offer materials to inspire thinking and explore sorting through everyday play. What's one of the first ways we introduce sorting to children? You got it! It's during clean-up. This everyday experience is rich in sorting potential.

Materials offered to children in trays promotes sorting during clean-up routines. Items can also be sorted during clean-up into individual baskets or bins. Have a conversation with your child while cleaning up and share why we choose to sort the materials when putting them away. Share the sorting "rule." For example, "Look, I'm sorting by colour. Each red piece goes in this section." Take notice of the similarities and differences of objects.

When children look closely at objects they build critical pathways and develop problem-solving skills as well as oral language as they describe their thinking. Challenge children to sort a collection of objects in more than one way. This provides an opportunity for them to reconsider, and reflect on their initial thinking. Sorting is such a rich experience for children and can be shared with them in many ways. Sorting is an integral part of our everyday living.





Everyday Sorting Experiences For Children



  1. Sorting laundry - Children delight in sorting laundry as part of their imaginary play and during everyday experiences with their family. A beautiful basket filled with colourful socks is a lovely invitation to explore sorting.

  2. Make a grocery list - Children can cut apart the grocery flyers and then explore sorting the items. Talk about how we sort items when writing a grocery list and explore the grocery store. This real-life experience is rich in sorting and mathematical thinking. 

  3. Sorting in the workshop - Nuts and bolts come in a variety of sizes and make for a wonderful discussion on shape and size while sorting. A great fine motor experience as well!

  4. Nature’s Treasures - Explore the outdoor world and pick only what is fallen as you gather your collected natural materials. Then explore sorting the items before returning them to the environment. 


Materials to Offer with Sorting


Any of the following can help children to begin to organize their sets of objects as they explore sorting. An ice cube tray, muffin tin, small bowls, or divided tray. 



Some of our favourite materials to sort are buttons and keys. I was once gifted a beautiful button collection and it is a treasured collection for the children to explore. Here are some of our favourite books to read to the children too!


Sort it Out by Barbara Mariconda

The Crayola Sorting Book 

The Button Box by Margarette S. Reid

Math Counts Series Sorting

Sorting at the Market


                                                    

Keep well Friends,


Michelle


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