Arts-Based Centers: How Teachers Must Adapt Arts-Based Centers for Different Age Levels - Essay Example

A contemporary art-based center is mainly focused on promoting contemporary art (art that is modern or that was created after the Second World War), while a visual art-based center focuses on visual arts, which is the type of art form that can be looked at (Bullard, 2009). Visual arts do not include songs, drama, acting, or dancing. A performing arts center is primarily intended to encourage the development of performing arts that comprises theater, dancing, and songs, while a children's art center focuses on kids’ art, where children create art as they play (Bullard, 2009).

Art-based centers tend to heighten the level of creativity among children since art activities allow children to come up with all the creative ways to use the art materials handed to them. Through arts, children are able to grow up to be creative people who are able to solve problems and to be original in their thoughts and imagination (Bullard, 2009). Children who are exposed to art at their early stages in life are able to apply their creative thinking not only to arts but also to other fields such as sciences. When children who have been exposed to arts at an early age are faced with a problem in other curricular areas, they are usually able to find various solutions to a challenge (Bullard, 2009).

Teachers who teach art must take the age of the students into consideration and arrange students into groupings according to their age levels. This is important since children of diverse age groups interact in different ways with art (Bullard, 2009). For example, children who are younger are more excited in exploring the materials handed to them hence they will paint in a more bold way since they tend to spread the paint in a more wide area. Younger children also tend to be more active when it comes to molding clay and playing with dolls. This is in contrast with children who are a few years older since their type of art tends to be more critically aware of their art, and more rational and concrete in their works (Bullard, 2009). Teachers should have different kinds of methods and techniques when teaching different age groups of children.

There are several techniques and methods that teachers can implement in their teaching to enhance and maintain an environment that encourages creative learning in their students. A physical space in the classroom that is inviting and has a warm feeling about it, where children have easy access to the necessary tools and materials, will motivate children to be creative (Bullard, 2009). Teachers should eliminate any distractions that may affect the concentration of students in the classroom environment. Teachers should allow students enough time to explore and create their works and encourage risk-taking among students (Bullard, 2009). Teachers should have a well-laid-out plan of the activities and the curriculum that they are expecting to cover at the beginning of the school calendar year (Bullard, 2009).