Materials as Languages

A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of attending one day of the Opal School's Summer Symposium. The entire day was focused on materials in the classroom, explored through different workshops and hands-on activities. The main theme of the day was the idea that materials become a language for children and adults to communicate through and with. A couple of speakers from Opal School explained that we build relationships with materials, in a non-rushed organic way. For instance, when a child explores clay for the first time, it takes time with the clay for all of the pieces to come together and for the child to communicate with the clay in a way where he understands it.

When we set up materials for children to explore, we can provide the opportunity for children to listen to these materials by thinking about what the choice of materials and how the materials are set up communicate to the children using them. Also, providing an environment where children feel safe allows them to explore the materials freely. When materials are able to speak to a child, materials can then make their own story for the child. As one former student at Opal School said, “A material decides what you're doing, it's a surprise!”

While I was at the symposium, I was given the opportunity to explore various materials in intentional ways and in a safe and calming environment. This is my experience of listening to materials and communicating through them:

Materials: Watercolor crayons, water, paintbrush

Provocation: Vase with a rose, leaves, maple seed pods

Materials: Various collage materials at individual tables and a central table, scissors, one piece of card stock paper at each chair

Provocation: Questions

I also was given the opportunity to explore the Opal School classrooms. Here is one specific project that a group of students completed using materials to communicate different feelings, thoughts, and messages:

The children in this classroom wanted to build a tree. They were given all sorts of materials so that they wouldn't be constricted to narrow their ideas to a small amount of materials. The children were given the opportunity to draw before constructing the tree to come up with a unified plan. This gave them the ability to experience the materials freely to create the tree they all wanted.

Being able to explore various materials first-hand at the Summer Symposium and experiencing this tree making project, inspired my work at TIH tremendously. Giving the children the opportunity to build something that is truly their own creation, with no constraints or constrictions, allows for something magical to happen, just like this tree. When providing materials for Cohort 3 at TIH, I often place the materials out on a table or the floor without giving them any instructions as to what to do with them. Allowing for the group to explore materials freely, in a safe and secure environment, gives them the ability to communicate through and with materials without limiting their imaginations!

“My alphabet starts with this letter called yuzz. It's the letter I use to spell yuzz-a-ma-tuzz. You'll be sort of surprised what there is to be found once you go beyond 'Z' and start poking around!"

~Dr. Seuss