Age/Grade Level of Children
Creative art forms like drawing, coloring, painting, and sculpting form a key constituent of toddler/ preschooler with special needs curriculum. Engaging in creating artworks supports child development over multiple domains besides facilitating development of small muscle control and coordination. This paper will deal with the planning of an art center for older toddlers with special needs (aged 2-3 years).
Number in Group
The class will comprise of 20 children with special needs aged 2-3 years, an easily manageable number. A maximum of 4 to 6 toddlers will be allowed into the center at a time to ensure smooth supervision. The toddlers with special needs may practice their cognitive skills through experimentation with color, band and texture, which offer self-discipline limits. Furthermore, art helps toddlers develop creativity (Aslin et al., 2014).
Goals of the Center
An art center for toddlers with special needs may aim at achieving a variety of goals which include:
Emotional Goals
· Starts displaying empathy towards peers
· Feels confident and safe when not with parents
· Demonstrates one’s likes and dislikes
· Displays pride after accomplishing something new
· Appropriate self-assertion
· Displays contrasting moods from intractable to amenable
Social Goals
· Mimics elders and peers
· Persuades or influences others
· Attempts at making others happy
· Assists with clean-up
· Has fun ‘exploring’ with peers
· Displays immense interest in the language of adults
Physical Goals
· Sits up properly in a chair
· Climbs stairs
· Washes hands and dries them
Most importantly, it will be situated away from sources of noise and distraction like entertainment centers and traffic. It will also be situated far away from the educator to ensure concentration.
Ideally, the art center may be placed near a large window which will allow ample amounts of natural light into the space. Further, a nearby window means children can easily look out and gain inspiration. Low surfaces will be used for convenient child access. Sliding ladders will be utilized for handicapped children. Lastly, the center’s placement near a sink will facilitate clean-up (Landry 2012).
Rules of the Center
The number of toddlers with special needs that may be simultaneously accommodated in each area will be established, in addition to how their number will be controlled. Method of imposition of time limits (if any) will be established as well. Lastly, rules for area clean-up will also be established.
Spring clothespins or magnetic boards may be utilized such that when children enter an area, they move the clothespin or magnet to indicate that the slot is occupied. When leaving, the clothespin or magnet will be moved back to indicate that the area has been vacated.
Specific Materials to be used in the Center/ Storage and Placement of Materials
Research has revealed the significance of considering the points outlined in this section when planning a child art center. As art may prove to be a key learning experience for toddlers with special needs , it is vital that childcare programs incorporate a well-planned art center, whose set-up will take into account age-specific factors.
Certain materials…
