Aussie Childcare Network Forum • Who uses stencils in their program.
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Who uses stencils in their program.

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 8:19 pm
by hel71
Hi just out of curiosity has anyone working in the industry, not allowed to use stencils for part of their programming for art or science activities.

Re: Who uses stencils in their program.

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 2:16 pm
by linsaa fdc
Hi hel71,
What kind of stencils are you talking about?
Children's stencils with the shape cut out of it for them to trace around?

Re: Who uses stencils in their program.

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 5:13 pm
by Lorina
Well, I don't think there is a problem with it, if you use it along with other materials as well, so it doesn't limit the children.

It doesn't say anywhere in the EYLF that children cannot use stencils or pre cut pictures although it does mention that children should be encouraged to express ideas using wide range of materials etc. You check out learning outcome 5.3 "Children Express Ideas and Make meaning Using a Range of Media".

For example: so for Halloween one of the art experiences may have been to decorate a pumpkin. Along with this experience you could provide, pre cut out pumpkin stencils, pumpkin shapes that the children can cut out for themselves, a whole real pumpkin in the middle of the table that the children can look at, draw and then decorate it for themselves etc. By providing options for the one experience enables children to choose how they want to participate in the art experience. It's still the same experience you are just using giving the children a variety of options for the same experience.

Are these the types of stencils you are referring to?

:geek:,
Lorina


Re: Who uses stencils in their program.

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 8:55 pm
by hel71
Hi Lorina,

Yes that is what I am talking about. I thought the same that as long as you extended the experience using various forms of media would be acceptable. I have even tried explaining that doing that extending the idea for children to draw, colour or decorate a stencil etc would be ok but getting told no we can't use stencils. I think children will not learn what an object etc is with out a picture or stencil to show them so they can create and extend their learning.

Re: Who uses stencils in their program.

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 6:25 am
by linsaa fdc
I use stencils all the time with the children along with all kinds of other things, they are great when we are doing activities, developing fine motor skills.
As Lorina said..... LO 5:3......that includes stencils. We need to offer children a wide variety.
In FDC we get coordinators that visit and have strange ideas of what is acceptable but that is their personal opinion, if they can't show me where it says I can't use or do something, then I suggest we leave it as a difference of opinion and I continue with what I was doing..
Unfortunately if your boss doesn't want them you might not have a choice. :(
Linsaa fdc :wave: