Mark Making and "Messing About": Exploring the Language of Materials in the Power Primes

In our classroom, inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, we believe that children learn best through active exploration and discovery. "Messing About" is a key phase in the creative process where children freely experiment with materials. It's a time for them to become familiar with the texture, feel, and possibilities each material offers without the pressure to create a final product. This playful engagement is crucial as it builds a deep relationship between the child and the material, allowing them to understand its "language."

Community art in the Power Primes classroom. Materials: Washi tape and marker.

The concept of the "language of a material" refers to how each material has unique properties that communicate differently depending on how they are used. For example, a crayon marks with a certain pressure, chalk smudges, and paint can drip or glide. By exploring these qualities, children begin to understand what they can express through different mediums—how the materials "speak" when manipulated.

“It is wrinkly because I am drawing so fast. I am mixing all the colors.”- S

Materials: Tempera paint sticks and colored pencil on vellum.

“I’m drawing the land. That’s the grass and the ticks.”- Pearl

Materials: Tempera paint sticks and Sharpie on cardstock.

In our classroom, we have begun this journey with a focus on Mark Making. Each morning, we set out different materials for the Power Primes to explore, such as tempera sticks, pastels, graphite pencils, scissors, dot markers, and watercolors. Through this "Messing About," the children are learning the language of each material, understanding what it can do, and discovering how they can communicate through their creations.

“It is making a puddle!”- Kaniya

“I wonder what happens when we mix the colors. I am making a new blue!”- Eliza

Materials: watercolor on Yupo paper