Should Early Years settings use stencils and pre cut materials?
Many settings will follow a child led approach, allowing the child full control over their creative activities; however some may still offer children the opportunity to use stencils or pre cut materials such as a cut out flower shape to decorate. This may hinder the child’s creative development as they are not given the opportunity to create a representation of their own ideas on how a flower should look.
Once these pre cut designs are displayed in the setting, it can be difficult to tell the difference between children’s art work and they may struggle to recognise which one is their own. It has been found that if children are presented with an image of a flower, or even a real flower as reference, and then allowed to paint or draw it from scratch; they are more likely to recognise their own creation – Some settings call this a provocation.
Practitioners may also use plastics stencils in their creative area that children can use to write letters, numbers and shapes; although these are a good way of showing the children what movement is needed to create the letter, number or shape, it is also teaching the child that each one should look exactly as the stencil indicates. This is taking away the individuality of handwriting and puts added pressure on the child to focus on the end result rather than the process.
Teaching children to write is a sore subject in the Early Years, with many suggesting that it is best to refrain from teaching this skill and allow teachers at school to take on this role. This is because teachers have been specifically taught how to teach children in forming the letters correctly, and if Early Years practitioners teach a child the wrong way first it can be extra difficult for the child to rewire their learning.
As previously discussed, children should be enjoying the process of creative learning rather than focusing on the outcome. If the child becomes too concerned about creating the perfect design, it can impact on their self esteem, confidence and put them in competition with their peers. The child then loses all of the positivity of creative play and may choose to opt out in the future due to lack of self belief.
This self doubt can impact on a child throughout their childhood and into adult life. There are some practitioners in the sector who feel uncomfortable doing particular activities such as creative activities or reading stories aloud. This may come from a previous time when the adult was told they were not good enough or they have compared themselves to another person and felt less superior. As adults, many of us have our weaknesses, but it is important to also concentrate on our strengths and role model to the children to show them that activities can still be enjoyed even if we feel we are not the best at them.
By using stencils and pre cut materials, children will think that the end product should be perfect and removes the opportunity for individuality. Early Years practitioners have a vital role in supporting the children and can leave a lasting impression on young children. This can last into their adulthood and help them to understand that their individuality is special and something to be proud of.