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My first experience with paper ( Material inquiry)

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My first experience with paper ( Material inquiry)

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Using a newspaper

Folding- I tried to fold it and kept on folding as many times as I could.

Clumsy- its soft and clumsy nature can help turning it into any shape or size.

Art- As it can be moulded into shapes I made a boat out of it.

Fun with paper- can make an aeroplane, fly in the air, blow in the air.

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Made a paper sculpture with origami method. A flat piece of paper was turned into a three dimensional figure. Through this I was able to recognise how versatile the paper is and its potential and adaptability is so huge.

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Storytelling with paper goes well with the principles of thinking with materials as in the book " Encounters With Materials in Early Childhood Education". It emphasizes the important role of materials in imagination building and development of cognition. Paper, is so versatile that it offers numerous possibilities for creative storytelling. It serves as a canvas for the imagination, allowing stories to be told, shared, and preserved. Origami, Shadow puppetry , Pop-up books, collage, paper sculptures are the various ways in which paper helps to tell stories. By embracing this practice, early childhood spaces can be transformed into dynamic environments that foster connection, imagination, creativity and engagement.

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Oh humble sheet, so plain and white,

The canvas of our thoughts, the vessel of our plight.

From mighty trees, you take your birth,

To serve mankind, you roam the earth.

Pressed and dried, you come alive,

A silent keeper of the scribe.

With pen in hand, we set you free,

To capture dreams, to hold history.

Through hands, you pass, from me to you,

A bridge of words, connecting two.

In letters, notes, and folded creases,

You carry love, and never ceases.

Through ages, you preserve the past,

In stories told, in truths that last.

So here's to paper, thin and light,

A testament to human might.

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Engaging with paper has been of a lot of value to me. What I have majorly learned is its value beyond its physical form. It is so versatile that it can be manipulated in various ways - folding, cutting, pasting, and even sculpting. This versatility allows for a wide range of creative expressions. Paper is not just a static object but it is a medium to explore and imagine. This engagement with paper has helped me to think out of the box to use the paper. Paper has its own history and cultural context.

In my early childhood practice I would use paper as a versatile tool to engage children in hands on activities, enhance their creativity, critical thinking, explore possibilities with it. With using paper I would also promote sustainability on how to use or reuse paper in one or the other way.

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As I started experimenting with paint I felt that  paint was not just a material but a way to express, allowing me to put my thoughts into visual form. As I spread the colors across the surface, I learned to appreciate  the way they could blend and contrast to create something entirely new. It was an exploration of creativity, a lesson of patience, an art of technique, and most importantly, a step into a world where imagination could take physical shape. The experience was transformative, teaching me that with just a few basic materials, I could craft a piece of art that was uniquely mine.

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A substance of such simple grace,

Transforms the void to art's embrace.

With every hue and every shade,

A painter's vision is conveyed.

Paint, a potion, thick or thin,

A chromatic symphony begins.

From tubes and pots, they find their way,

To tell a story, bright or gray.

With every stroke, a new world's born,

From early morn till dusk is worn.

A material so mute and still,

Yet in its silence, speaks with skill.

In paint, we trust our deepest fears,

Our joys, our sorrows, and our tears.

A material, yes, but so much more,

A key to art's immortal door.

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Through this creative exploration, we explored inquiry-based studio practices, which encourage critical thinking, curiosity, self-expression and experimentation. When freedom is given to discover and play, the art unfolds naturally. In this experiment, the wet tissue paper and brush become canvases for ideas and emotions, enabling giving imagination a visual effect.

The experience with paint on these different materials bring up a deep engagement with the language of art. We develop an understanding of how materials interact with paint, embracing the randomness and surprises that arise from creative process. Through inquiry-based studio practices, Children learn to express themselves authentically and develops a sense of agency in their artistic endeavours. (Pelo, A 2017, The language of art: Inquiry-based studio practices in early childhood settings)

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By using materials from nature, children get connected with the natural world that helps nurturing a sense of wonder and curiosity in children. Painting with natural materials provides an exceptional sensory experience, allowing children to explore various textures, colours, and patterns in a meaningful way. (Artists at the Centre - The Project.)

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During my paint experience I have discovered how paint has an immense power to express inner thoughts, emotions, and experiences. It helps in unleash the creativity in a vibrant way. Curiosity is what has been a motivating force for my paint experimentation. I wondered on the numerous techniques of paint, different textures, and colour combinations. These put me into thought and hence leading to paint experimentation and research and think out of the box.

As an early childhood educator I now recognize the intense power of paint in holistic development of the children. Paint gives children a multi-sensory experience as it simultaneously engages our minds and bodies. And also now I understand the importance of providing quality materials in a clean and attractive way. (acecqa.gov.au)

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Clay art is a form of artistic expression that involves moulding and shaping clay into various forms. The history of clay art can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where it was used for both practical and decorative purposes. From ancient times to modern era, artist have used various techniques, mediums and methods to produce some exceptional pieces of Art. with its endless possibilities it sure that this versatile material will provide us with endless possibilities of art and creation.

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As I took clay in my hands, it was soft, cool and slightly damp. Its smell reminded me of my days as a child when I used to play out on a rainy days. I could press, knead, shape, mould, and squeeze it in the way I liked. As I struggled making shapes out of it, I wondered how artist could give them numerous shapes. The more I engaged with it, the more curious I was.

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Clay’s open-ended nature allows children to explore and express themselves freely.

They can roll, flatten, or create, each action helps them with creativity, problem solving.

Poking and pinching the clay strengthens finger and hand muscles.

Rolling, cutting, and shaping clay helps children to learn about texture, shapes.

Clay play encourages socialization, as children work in group using clay it enhances their social skills.

Clay helps develop hand-eye coordination as children squeeze, pat the clay. As mentioned in "Encounters with materials in early childhood" p-65 The hand eye cordination, finger dexterity and grip strength are necessary for writing, sketching and other tasks demanding precise hand movements.

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Working with clay gives children experience in making three-dimensional objects. They can create shapes, animals, or anything as they imagine. This helps them in learning about different shapes, sizes, opposites etc.

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Through clay activities children can learn new words like such as pound, pinch, roll, flatten, poke, tear, squeeze, coil, stretch, squash, twist, and bend.

Clay pieces can also be used as props in story telling.

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This versatile material provides numerous possibilities and this is what sparked my curiosity and imagination. Its tactile nature pushed me to engage my senses encouraging play based and hands on learning. As I experienced Clay I had a lot of questions and this led to seeking new ways to manipulate and shape it. I was surprised to find out how a lump of clay could be transformed into shapes to form something. I wondered how it could bring ideas to life. Looking ahead to my future practices as a teacher I now recognize the importance of this material and aspire to incorporate it in my future practice as it develops the children holistically.

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Loose parts are like having a box of endless possibilities. Children can arrange them, stack them, mix them up, or even pretend they’re something entirely different.

When kids play with loose parts, it makes them little inventors, figuring out how things fit together, what works, and what doesn’t.

There’s no instruction manual for loose parts. A cone can be a spaceship, a rock can be a secret treasure, and a piece of cloth can turn into a superhero cape.

Loose parts help children engage their senses—touching, seeing, and hearing—as they explore.

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My stop motion vedio

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Junk sparks creativity and imagination in children as they can use these parts in limitless ways which in turn enhances problem- solving and critical thinking skills. As children physically manipulate loose parts their fine motor skills are also developed. It also encourages social interaction when children collaborate during play, promoting their social and emotional development.

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www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-01/PaintingWithYoungChildrenInEarlyYearsEducation.PDF

Artists at the Centre - The Project - Reggio Emilia - The Fundamentals of the Reggio approach - educators and professional artists collaborating with children - child care - daycare
http://www.artistsatthecentre.ca/project.html

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Kind, S. and M., K.L.L. (2017) Encounters

with materials in early childhood education. New York:

Routledge.

Pelo, A. (2017) The language of art inquiry-based studio practices in early childhood settings. St. Paul, Minn: Redleaf Press.