Learning from early childhood philosophy, theory and pedagogy : Inspiring effective art education

As children grow older, they seem to lose their uninhibited enthusiasm for painting and drawing, and leave behind what is perhaps the best art-making of their lives. What can educators learn from the art-making of young children in early childhood settings? Can this learning be transferred to other educational settings, such as the primary school, to support children's ongoing art-making and creativity? This paper reports on an intensive art-making project in an early childhood setting, recognised for supporting children's creative art-making in an authentic and continuous manner. The philosophy, theories and pedagogical approaches used in this centre and in the project are reported and analysed with a view to developing deeper understanding of application of effective art education in primary schools. Specifically, the authors contend that best practice in early childhood education theory, philosophy and pedagogy can inspire effective art education in other educational settings. [Author abstract]