Product Vs Process Art: Which One Should You Adopt For A Child's Development?

14th December 2022

Product art and Process art are the two types of activities normally carried out in a preschool classroom. However, most teachers are unable to understand which one should be practiced to impart the utmost benefits to the kids. But if you have pursued pre and primary training courses then you would definitely be aware of the difference between the two.

The primary difference between product and process art is that process art focuses more on the overall process of creating art while product art is all about the end product. Nonetheless, if you are confused about which one is better for your student's development, then tune in to find out!

Before we dive deeper into the benefits part, let us first understand what each of these art means, individually.

What Is Product Art?

When it comes to the definition of the term Product Art it basically means an art project that is focused and structured to produce a particular outcome. When you consider performing this art with your students then it basically means that you expect what the end result should look like.

The typical characteristics are as follows:

• It has step-by-step instructions to be followed
• Children focus more on getting the final product
• There is only one right way to do that particular activity
• The finished product of all the students will be identical
• Teachers are continuously monitoring to make sure the results are accurate

Some teachers believe that this type of art is better for teaching the learners various types of skill sets like how to listen and follow instructions, use a scissor, create and recognize shapes, etc. moreover, some instructors also use it for those dreaded parents who believe that a preschool is just a place where kids have fun and they don’t learn anything productive.

What Is Process Art?

Process art is just the opposite of product art, as the name would rightly indicate. This type of art focuses more on the process of creating art rather than the end product. Here the part of making art remains the prominent aspect of the completed work rather than staying hidden. It is more about seeing art as a form of creative expression rather than considering it to be a mechanical process.

Source: researchgate.net

The typical characteristics are as follows:

• There are few to no instructions to be followed
• Children focus more on the process of creating an art
• There is no correct or incorrect way of creating art
• The finished products of all the students are unique
• Teachers support and encourage the students to ignite their creative mind

This type of art is choice-driven, and child-directed and is meant to celebrate the experience of discovery. Students are allowed to freely explore art and collage materials and use them to develop their unique creations. It does not have to fit the conventions of the real world, instead, it is meant to build the creative and artistic brain of a child.

Okay Got It! But Which One Is Better?

Research shows that children who are allowed to create things without any limitations, boundaries, or rational explanations learn best. Thus, process art aligns with the techniques of open-ended exploration and enables a child’s brain to grow and develop.

Source: journals.plos.org

Furthermore, a preschool curriculum that is culturally, linguistically, and developmentally relevant for children is seen to be more effective. Hence, it is quite clear that process art triumphs over product art as it provides a more joyful experience for both students and teachers alike.

“But then how would I build a child’s motor skills if I don’t use product art?”

Well, you are lucky to have an answer!

If you take a closer look at the activities conducted to create process art, you will develop the idea of how to use them to develop motor skills. Most of the activities use props like span cubes, potato heads, legos, etc.

So next time when you are teaching a math class you can manipulate your activities using these objects to make it more fun and of course, strengthen their hand and wrist muscles.

The Final Takeaway

Once you can embrace the idea that skill learning is not all about Product Art but how you as a teacher can include skill even in Process Art. Once you can judge the difference between these two and determine which is more beneficial for your student's overall growth and development, your life as a preschool teacher will become much easier. If you are unenlightened about where to begin, then consider pursuing an online pre-primary teacher training course and make learning fun.

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