Sixteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

Art is a form of representation through which privately held personal ideas and concepts are publicly shared (Eisner, 1994). Children’s art is a language in a form of cognitive expression that conveys their ideas, feelings, and emotions to others. Participation in art activities provides children with ample opportunities to learn to elaborate during the early childhood years, children’s draw- on their ideas, interests, and meaningful life experiences. In fact, there are several domains which influence the child’s holistic aesthetical development like cognitive, physical, emotional, and aesthetic domains. Art generally as dominant need, focuses on helping children to perceive their surroundings, enrich their imagination and develop aesthetic emotions via different media like music, visual arts, and drama. Abigail Housen’s Theory of Aesthetic Development suggests that there are five stages (listening, constructive, classifying, interpretive, and recreative) proposed to play major role in elevating the level of children’s art language. The present research aims to spread awareness about the importance of utilizing art activities (music, visual arts, and drama) for strengthening extensively holistic sensitivity towards aesthetic and art language, and the change that may occur in the four domains of the child’s development (cognitive, physical, emotional, and aesthetic domains). The current research strives to align the four child’s development domains with Abigail Housen’s theory of five stages proposing for raising the level of children’s aesthetic and art language (listening out, constructive, classifying, interpretive and recreative).This to contribute to the enhancement of aesthetic development during and after the phase of early childhood.