About Franklin

There are 2 answers. First, I have pre-school to 6th graders in an elem. school for 42 yrs. It is the lesson that counts. My opinion is to let the youngest children create with abandon, with no pre-concieved product. It is all play. Ask the child to tell you about her creation rqather than impose limits on it. It is darling to hear them tell you a story about the random splotches, lines and colors. At this age it is the process rather than the product. However, I have had re-school children come to ceramic clay classes where we are specific abou the basic instruction to let them have a product. Their embellishments on those are still up to them. after kindergarten, they want to make their pictures look like something than can recognize. A thoughtful, patient tteacher who will ask the appropriate questions about the child's own creative needs can be valuable. As they older they waant to know about perspective, handling materials in a more organized manner. I also suggest exposing them to all art at shows and museums in magazines to fosster their own curiosity.