experience the whole event, Interestinaly, the teachers do nat write the cildzen’s stores down as this deprives the chltiren of rightful ownership ‘Wright (2006) and Kolb (2008) articulate how eildren, when drawing, don't simply create static end products but draw in ways that are improvisetonal, nid, and highly meeningfal. Chldzen often narrate a running commentary both as narrator au as the protagonists, sometimes adding sound effects too. They move and use body gestures and facial expressions to ampllfy and clarify. They change ther ideas, mid-stroke, of who the charactars are. “She isa princess Lem leaving the cas’. Drawing cen be avisual ‘equivalentof drameticplay and Wright describes itasa multimode, multifaceted visual narrative’ inwhich graphics drawing) narrative (tall) and embodiment (noveman) all entich andinform. each otter. Isle storytelling ba: ina mach more fs form, CGivenalf achance, children will move from the conservative constraints of inert paper into other ways to express themvseves, Hunter, who was originally reluctant to draw Gee phot, drew ‘imself eaving his (wo brothors irom zombies. Describing cutting cout the zombies, he thon literally got the scissors and cut them off We could put his name on the remaining serap and send it home but we have missed its meaning if we are no: there alongside, documenting the full event. We would also have missed out om observing his deligntul learning dispositions (experimertation, problem-solving, curiosity, triel and error, accepting failure to justify another enthusiantie replay, playfulness and resilience) As you can see, my playful modelling of giving it a go’ drewing inogours didnot diminish hs enthusiasm for drawing space ship. Parallel play, parallel drawing When a clild is reluctant, I tend to draw elongside, but self at fst, last asa ‘naive enquirer. Taking onthe role fof ‘expert teacher’ can cast children into the complementary role of ‘pessive eceners’, who then lack intatve,resiience and creativiy, | approzeh as & playful, collaborative, responsive an interested equal; as a fellow learner. I come not with an agends to teach drawing, but instead to support a growth mindset in which learning a new ski becomes playful an plensureble rather then a threatening test Just like crostve, confident chileren, I change my mind, | appraise my work, I tak out loud aboutyany visual narrative, [borsow ideas and colours, Ledaptthe plo, {ode ways vo improvise with unanticipated cuteares, In faQ@P node] how ‘we learn anything: take risks, Try new things, Lath, [ask for help and actvice ftom the others, | welocme falls as teresting challenges. Ido not praise or fatter fellow ‘We are equals, ‘neldentally, I probably draw atthe level ofa ggpotent 10 yor od. Self expression or communication? on coverente stories with children, using a white beard Later we re-tell, act out, draw, ilustrate or recreate the story, referring back 1 our images freed. Sometimes willdraw thelr suggestions and sometimes I ask a child to draw. So, for effective and speecy communication, {do draw infront ofthe children, in fast seruffy graphies. This gives another opportunity to modal imperfection (even. laughable Incompetence) as ‘good enought fore given purpose, We are increasing cur repertoire of accepted visual signs, augmenting visual literacy, and confirming thet ccommunigetion sometimes takes priority over artistic accuracy ‘in idea of Aower’Is very different from the observed study o f sunflower, One is mare about communication with others and the other is abou: creative sif expression and documentation observation. One is creating reality and one is recording realty. ‘This seems tobe acistinetion that reeds tobe understood mare fully ‘when itearnes to saying ‘never eve” Tbelive children are able to ‘use simple graphics to think and to communicate syrabelicelly nd thay can also use diferent techniques to create a work of ert, Both ‘pave their place and are not mutually exclusive. in summary, although 1 would love to see ehléren living rich, textured, colourful lives, surrounded by creative people who are oil growing and learning, for many chldren itis a mach more humdrumand predictable existerce. Humanity, wasmth and shared ‘worlds are my prioriic, with orl and visual literacy as secondsry, but very welcome, by-praduets To paraphrase Dit Hil, ‘Once the ‘kindling has caught fire one cen stand back and leave well alone ‘More and more ehildren are needing 2 helping hand to get the ‘naling alight and forme never, ever'inthisage ofinstittinalised claildcare does not meet the needs of many children! work with. $0 ‘Thespace + Issue 040 « Winter 2013 21Evelyn Davis: Never, ever draw for a child? ‘What was once a wise recommendation to support children’s Arawing without drawing images for then seems to have gradually evolved into a powerful absclute with regrettable consequence for teaching practice. When heard ofa centre where this guideline has been extended to an instruction to ‘never, ever draw with fr, or ‘ear a child, was galvarised to explore why itis that I sometimes dodraw with and even or’ children, ard why instinctively fel chat itis vale, ‘What are the parceived hazards of drawing with « chile? Primariy, children wil think that yours isthe right way’ and will, slaviahly lmnitate you, thus cramping their cretive self-expression, and motivation to discover for themselves, Being creative in front of children Should one then also nat esemble train tack sing, make sud pics, dance o tell a ctory in font of a child in case they conclude that chese ae ‘te righ ways' to do those thie? Will lldren therefore tir their own efforts wil ot be good enough? ow dogs one scaffold creativity? And wht if Grand-ded doesnt ‘know these principles? What is the danger if younger children canalte oer oibings and peers? Wat happens when a chid receives five differant impressions of Row people sing, drew, work In the garden, use playdough and tell particwar story? Cleary cllren successily cope with this, jos os they are abe to learn three languages before they are five, simply through exposure. Should we stop being creative because ehléven are wating? [ bolieve the reverseis desirable that we should mode and advocte for) creativity. And chellenge, as Simon Nicholson did when he proposed is theory ofoose pars the ets mindset whereby the ‘ast majority of people’ have to leave creativity in music, painting. architecture, erature andthe seienosto the ereutive giked fe! Giving children aleg up Mary children who sem to Jack confidence often cam Ursula Kol'sand Penis Brownlo's contenton‘het Draw mea cat realy meana Pees show me how to get started ona cat They are asking fr a way in Brownlee suggests saying, “Where woul Dea gond placeto stare? Maybe witha: ameny? ifthis fais to inspire, Ifindchat efter modeling e brat ketch on my pape, ofan cvalbocy sorta sap, children wilthen happily edd avarey of appendages ofa to thelr own fat tury: ‘There seema to bean implicit assumption in ‘never ever that teachers cannot draw with child without automaticaly falling into the role of experts This is how you drew a cat, 1 suggest nother ‘way. "This ishow | Evelyn. draw a cat and [nor my siter dravrs them Lie this Of course it depends i ks & mean daddy tom cat, ora kitten?” And then to sart craving something that is nat too carlcatured or predictable, Maybe find acat and look ati | vend to draw Stelner sive, with the crayon held on its side, with shaded araas of colour (Sea photo, rather then herd outlines. # you have not experienced contexts that support artistic creativity, play and exploration et your own pace, then yoa might ‘be four year old who avoids the drawing table I find i disturbing ‘to meet en ineveasingly large number of children with this attitude, 1 sugges: the undariying causes may include lack of access to materials, pressure to write as soon as the pencil grip appears, Ineuffcfont appreciation or interest, an excess of inappropriate praise, over direction by expert’ adutts who want specific outcomes or aver exposure to adulis who role model the Tan’ approach or repestedy asc What have you draw7? My oun view is that there is often insucient role-modelling and advocacy fr drawing. am concarned that ‘never, ever’ means that come teachers rarely draw as equal artists and ellow creators, alongside children, Or that when they do, they often demonstrate (perform?) detailed stereotyped complete (and practised) images Raspectlplayfulness is key, [beleve, There is even a tendency to skirt the drawing table altogether, arriving only to add nemes tothe ‘stagnant artafacts (Gusan Wright) ancl child sccurataly reads the subtext that drawing is not highly valued. Too many children, in my view. are learning that weneversing withoutaCD ortellastory unless wehavenbock. ‘The arts reed more powerful advocacy than the hidden curricukam tha: they are nice but not necessary / jus a stepping stare on the pth ta writing /they support fine motor skis / keep them quiet Visual narratives Susan Wright in ‘Understanding Creativity in Chiidhoodt acknowledges Vygotscys concep ofarewing as graphic speech and Rayand Gover in‘Alresdy ready describe year olds who read their ‘story consistently over a period of daysto different listeners To the ‘untrained eye che images loo like random tncontrelied seribblet so, to apareciate the visual literacy and the inereasing repertoire of eign with which these children communicate, itis necessary 20 ‘The Sprea «suena + Ws 295