Wake Forest University Assistant Professor Katherine Ziff, PHD ’04, thinks children should have more chances to play and discover. Her book, ArtBreak: A Creative Guide to Joyful and Productive Classrooms , published by Ohio University Press offers teachers, parents, and counselors art-based play activities that empower children to take a break and make art. An excerpted Q&A with Ziff follows.
What sets ArtBreak apart from other artmaking guides for students?
It’s pretty easy to work the program into a classroom or homeschool setting. It’s also important to make sure the program is childcentered, and remember they’re ultimately making the decisions while adults are there for support. It’s a journey learning to be a child-centered facilitator.
How was ArtBreak developed and tested?
I got the idea for the program from an artbased studio that was introduced to medical students at a school in Pennsylvania. It was relaxing and recharged the students, so I thought maybe this would work for little kids such as elementary students. ArtBreak pulls from several art therapy theories. The framework consists of child-centered education, studio art, and the expressive therapies continuum. There’s also an aspect of mental health counseling, in particular group counseling. It crosses a lot of disciplinary boundaries in the art spectrum.
It takes little to introduce children to art: a spark and some tools. The payoff to creating productive, child-centered play is immense and positively impacts a child’s development, says Ziff. Check out these five tips for making art with kids by Katherine Ziff, PHD ’04 and author of ArtBreak.
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