Education by Play and Art

Pre-requisites: Child's Play and Curriculum Development exam

Course objectives: Presentation, review and analysis of modern approaches/conceptions of education of early-aged children, based on play and art(s).

Course description: Imagination and creativity: the role and the significance in development and education of early-aged children. Knowledge as a representation of experience. Ways of experience representation: „The Hundred Languages of Children“ (Reggio Emilia approach). Means of play and art – cultural artifacts of different levels. Types of play and their developmental/educational potential. Art, music, drama education as opposed to „education by art“ (integrated approach). Activity and dialogue nature of learning – construction of meaning and identity in a search for the sense. Kindergarten as an institution of modern society: the need for aesthetic approach in the form of „semiotic apprenticeship“. Presentation and analysis of chosen programme/approach examples of early-aged children education based on play and art: Reggio education; Playworld of G. Lindqvist. Practical course: field research.

Learning Outcomes: Students understand the possibilities and advantages of using the procedure of play and language and methods of art in educating the children of early age; students are familiar with modern concepts of education by play and art and are capable of designing those kind of programmes meant for children.

Literature/Reading:

• Eisner, E. W., 2002, The Arts and the Creation of Mind, New York & London: Yale Univ. Press
• Edwards,C., Gandini, L., Forman, G., 1997, The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach, Ablex Publ Comp., London, 5-49
• Lindqvist, G, 1995, The Aesthetics of Play: A Didactic Study of Play and Culture in Preschools, Uppsala Sudies in Education, Uppsala
• Marjanović, A., Stvaralaštvo, igra i vaspitanje predškolskog deteta, Predškolsko dete, 1979, 1-2, str. 3-31;
• Moyles, J. ed., 2006, The Excellence of Play, Open University Press (odabrana poglavlja)
• Rakić, V, 1979, Vaspitanje igrom i umetnošću,Biblioteka dr V. Rakić,
• Vygotsky, L.S., 2004, Imagination and Creativity in Childhood, Journal of Russian and East European Psychology, V.42, No., 7-12; 25-31
• Wartofsky, M., 1979, Art and Technology: Conflicting Models of Education; Art as Humanizing Praxis, u: Wrtofsky,M.; Models, D. Reidel Publ. Comp.; Boston
• Wells, G., 2003, Dialogic Inquiry, Cambridge Univ. Press, 135-167