Confidence & Wellbeing

To maximise the use of the school day, I discovered in 2022 that tutoring a table of six children on separate days allowed me to effectively deliver the same art lesson to the entire class over the course of a week. The resulting artwork reached an impressive standard, leading to its display not only within the classroom but also around the school. The noticeable boost in the children’s confidence and self-esteem was a testament to the benefits of this approach. Art provided a valuable outlet for expression, particularly benefiting SEN (Special Educational Needs) and non-verbal students, who flourished outside the confines of routine curricular activities. The palpable confidence they gained from seeing their work showcased was truly inspiring.

"delivering successful art lessons during the school day"

Working with small, manageable groups of six at the end of the day offered children the opportunity to experiment with various art materials and techniques under the guidance of an art leader (TA), readily available to offer assistance when needed. A series of sessions tailored to the curriculum, (and now also outlined on the Access Art website), were conducted throughout the school year. These sessions focused on classic yet accessible fine art techniques that both teachers and TAs could comfortably teach and enjoy.

Given the typical layout of school classrooms, often divided by tables and chairs, accommodating smaller groups of children is a natural fit. The manageable size of each group I tutored daily allowed for individualised and focused art instruction tailored to each child’s unique needs. This personalised approach significantly contributed to the children’s enjoyment and success in exploring various art mediums. It proved particularly beneficial for non-verbal or SEN children, providing them with the attention and guidance necessary to thrive in their artistic endeavours, which was often lacking in a larger class setting of 30 children.

Icknield Primary School

Working daily with small groups of six.

Excerpt from The Hundred Languages of Children

The Reggio Emilia Approach - Advanced Reflections (Second Edition) by Carolyn Edwards (Editor), Lella Gandini (Editor), George Forman (Editor).

Use of Small Groups

"Another element that struck us has to do with the frequent use of small groups when working with children. Reggio educators believe that children co-construct knowledge and that the small group is the ideal situation for children to do so. We have been fascinated to see in our own work with children how a small group situation affords them greater opportunities for purposeful thinking. In a small group, it is easier for children to pay attention to one another, to reflect on each others' thoughts, to have an opportunity to express themselves, and to repeat this cycle. It is also easier for the adult to hear the children, to help children explain themselves, to keep the conversation on track, to encourage children to listen to one another, and to think about what is being said. This said, we realize that it is a luxury to be able to work uninterrupted with a small group of children. In Winnetka, we are fortunate to work with an assistant, and this allows us to spend time alone with a limited number of children in order to explore a topic in a way that would otherwise be difficult.

We also believe that the work done in small groups should be shared with the larger group. In some cases it is extremely important to have a private conversation with a group of children or to allow them to work without the distractions of the rest of the class. However, there are times when it can be useful for the group as a whole to have the opportunity to observe a small group working on a special project. This can be accomplished by strategically placing a small group in a location where they can be viewed by the entire group. It can be equally important to have a small group report back to the larger group about a conversation they have had or a project they are working on. We have found that periodically providing for ‘reporting back’ is more instructional than merely reporting to the group at the very end of a project. Periodic reporting can allow participants to once again verbalize their thoughts, giving them another opportunity to explain what they have been doing. It also provides an opportunity for a greater number of viewpoints or ideas to be shared because the circle of contact with the projects is widened. Children not involved in the project inevitably have comments to make or ideas to suggest".