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The introductory book is hard cover and takes you on a journey of ideas that inform how we come into relationship with creativity.

We explore:

  • the role of teaching & learning

  • the power of listening

  • relationship with materials

  • relationship with time

  • opportunities for documentation

  • reflective practice

 

The Introduction, hard cover book. Styled with a plastic spool, green jar of crayons, netting, natural and recycled items

introduction

By reimagining teaching through the arts we hope this framework infuses new ideas and perspectives into your thinking and practice. 

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Threads of creativity 

Threads are a passage  to understanding the  experience of creativity  in this resource. Whilst  there are many threads  for thinking about creativity, we have identified 5 as a starting  point for practice.  
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We don’t see threads in  isolation of one another  instead as interconnected  pathways revealing  insight and learning.

Discovering

Discovering is about the moments of being with a material and/or an idea.  This might involve noticing, exploring, experimenting, questioning, testing, and manipulating.  This is an essential element of the research process that requires time. The process of being with and in relationship with that material will reveal possibilities, understanding and knowledge.

Expressing

When children meet with materials a context is created for expression.  This is a time where ideas, theories, emotions, and narratives can be communicated.  This might involve telling, describing, showing, demonstrating, symbolizing, and gesturing.  Expressing is a personal response to an experience honoring the uniqueness of each child.

Enjoying

Enjoying is about valuing the space for the wondrous nature of the creative process.  This might involve delight, surprise, humour, pleasure, excitement and being in the moment.  Creating the conditions that bring enjoyment into the learning process values wellbeing at the heart of education.

Thinking

Working theories are a way in which children draw on and apply ideas and understandings which reveal thinking.  This might involve metaphor, philosophy, reasoning, conceptualising, problem solving and imagining. Materials in the hands of children have the capacity to communicate and/or shape the thinking process and can be a pathway to making sense of an experience.   

Meaning making

Making connections between new and existing knowledge is supported by a process of thinking together.  This might involve scaffolding, co-constructing, reflecting, linking, understanding, and forming new knowledge.  Revisiting experiences and ideas support the metacognitive processes and can be a fertile ground for relaunching the ideas that inform curriculum design.

Subscribe to recieve your free copy of THREADS OF CREATIVITY

references

  1. O’Donohue, J. Cited in Pelo, A., & Carter, M. (2018). From teaching to thinking: A pedagogy for reimagining our work. Exchange Press. P. 31​
     

  2. Scarlet, R. (2018). Becoming With ART in Early Childhood Art of Becoming. MultiVerse Publishing. P.10
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  3. Davies, B. (2014). Listening to Children: Being and becoming. Routledge. P. xi
     

  4. ​Fleet, A., Patterson, C., & Robertson, J. (Eds.) (2021). Conversations, behind pedagogical documentation. P. 7
     

  5. ​Houk, P. cited in C. Edwards, L. Gandini, & G. Forman (Eds.) The Hundred Languages of Children. The Reggio Emilia Approach- Advanced Reflections. Second edition. Ablex Publishing Corporation. P. 293.
     

  6. ​Merton, T. (1955), No Man is an Island. Harcourt Trade Publishers. p. 35.

The Creative Collection is a wonderful resource that redefines creativity in early childhood education. By viewing creativity as a generative concept encompassing inventiveness, imagination, and originality, this collection nourishes the creative potential of both educators and children. Kelly and Kirsty have crafted a resource that transforms educators' understanding of arts practice, emphasizing its integral role in children's learning and wellbeing. The Creative Collection inspires educators to engage creatively through the arts, offering opportunities to express ideas and generate thoughtful exploration. This is not merely a guide to techniques, but a profound invitation to bring curriculum to life through the arts using innovative and inspiring resources.

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LYNDSEY HELLYN & STEPHANIE BENNETT – The Curiosity Approach®

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