Chapter 1 · the goals of childcare
Let them make a mess of it
The last of the six goals is the easiest to love and the easiest to rush. It isn’t asking for a finished piece of art.
Goal (f)
Rich experience, not finished results
Through a wide variety of experiences, nurture rich sensitivity and the ability to express, and lay the earliest foundation for creativity.
But here’s the key
Sensitivity comes before expression
Notice the order again: feel it first, express it second. A child has to actually notice the sound of rain, the weight of wet sand, the smell of the paint — before there’s anything real to put into a drawing, a dance, or a song. Skip the noticing, and the “expression” is empty.
In real life
A page of scribbles
A two-year-old covers the whole page in one colour and calls it “done.” I don’t ask what it is. I say, “You used so much red — your arm was moving fast!” I’m responding to the experience of making it, not judging the result. That’s what keeps her reaching for the crayon tomorrow.
A common misunderstanding
“It needs to look like something.”
“A good art activity ends with everyone’s cat looking like a cat, ready for the wall.”
“A good art activity ends with everyone having felt, tried, and made their own choice — the wall is optional.”
Why this matters to you
It changes what you praise
“Wow, you made a beautiful sun” teaches a child to chase a result you’ll approve of. “Wow, you mixed yellow and red all by yourself” teaches a child to keep exploring, because the noticing itself was worth something.
Small shift in words, different child on the other end of it.
Your turn
Think about the last thing you praised in a child’s drawing, song, or dance.
Did I praise the result, or the noticing behind it?
Try naming the noticing today. That’s goal (f).
About Bond Japan
NPO Bond Japan
Bond Japan connects international schools so they can learn from one another and deepen a shared understanding of early childhood education and care.