Children who score higher on tests of imagination and creativity develop stronger problem-solving strategies (Brown, Sutterfy & Thronton, 2008). Our STEM education preschool creativity curriculum is an arts-infused curriculum that allows children to take creative risks, make connections, explore their curiosity in meaningful ways and explore their own creativity. “Play is a safe place where children are exploring the expression of emotion with no attending consequences” (Gaskins and Miller, 2009).
How do we do this: Our students participate in creativity in a variety of ways each day. We offer dramatic play during discovery time, imaginary play during outdoor time or discovery time. We influence creative thinking while developing projects. Our children also participate in a variety of direct teaching during Art. We partner with several organizations that teach our children art, music, and dance. Throughout the year our children will learn about different art mediums including, sculpting, drums, and dance. Creativity is a vital part of your child’s STEM education preschool creativity curriculum and there are 3 main mediums we offer to help develop a child’s creativity.
STEM Education Preschool Creativity
ART
Art is practices throughout the day in preschool. Preschoolers love activities and creating things. And really art is anything that an individual creates and sees as creative and art. We typically provide free art time where we put out recyclable materials and allow students to create using those items. Sometimes they make art and sometimes they make a tool or something they view to be helpful to others.
DRAMA
Preschoolers naturally practice drama more than they think. Make believe is a game they frequently play and our dress up area is a helpful vehicle to facilitate this make believe. What they don’t realize is that make believe is a form of drama. It is creative. Emotions are released and sociocultural norms are learned and acted out.
We also use drama during our story time where we will assign characters to students and they will act as that character during the story. We also will play Simon Says which is a simplistic form of drama but helps students move their body and copy others.
MUSIC
During our music time we introduce a variety of music, instruments, and concepts to children. They learn the basics of rhythm which also helps in language and literacy development. They get a chance to hear different kinds of music and decide for themselves what they like and don’t like. Listening to different music also helps them learn about different cultures. Instruments are
our hands-on part of music. The children touch and try the instruments practicing both rhythm, control, and working as a group when making music.
DANCE
Dance also helps children recognize natural rhythm that exists in life, which will then translate to language and literacy development. We will play a variety of music and at times direct the students to move a certain way and at other times allow them to move freely. This helps them become more familiar and comfortable with their growing body.
At A Learning Bee Academy, we realize that creativity is as broad as there are individual people. We work to provide the STEM education preschool creativity environment and objects to allow our students to practice their creativity in whatever medium speaks best to them. We also encourage students who don’t particularly identify with that medium to try it and at least appreciate it if not adopt it as something helpful.