An Exploration
T r i b e c a C o m m u n i t y S c h o o l
A T E L I E R
Children’s fascination with mark making arises not from an academic drive, but rather from an innate desire to express themselves and communicate.
Young children, who are still on their journey towards conventional literacy, have a unique sensitivity to graphic symbols. Symbols and graphic representation transcend the barriers of traditional written language.
The act of making a mark on paper, canvas, or clay becomes a potent tool for them to connect, communicate, and express their unique viewpoints.
“This is to my mom.
It says, ‘Silly Guy’.”
In the Hudson Atelier we have spent the year exploring the concept of messages. Because children at this age do not distinguish between drawing and writing, we hoped to gather insight around the relationship between literacy and communication.
We wondered: What is a message?
Who would you want to send a message to? What kind of message do you want to send?How would they know what it says?
How will they get it? Can messages be sounds, marks, or movements?
The children began by creating messages to parents and their friends in other classrooms.“I hope you are having a good time and you like your new teacher.” One child asked us to transcribe. “Can you write, ‘Mom is my favorite’ on this one?” asked another.
We began by creating message centers.
“This says, “Happy new year!’”
“C-O-N-O-R”
“For Ella because she’s my friend.”
Take A Message,
Leave A Message Center
“But how will they get the messages?”
“They will just go up in the air and float all the way to your house.”
“Floating messages.”
“How about we put the messages in here.”
Message Machines
“We need to make a message machine.
“It needs to have two circles with a pipe in between.”
“The circle opens and the messages fall out.”
“Is it coming down?”
“Tilt it!”
“Put them in here!”
“They’re stuck!”
“We need tape to make a message machine.”
Messages For Birds
“We need to send a message to the birds because they’re in sky-school.”
hello!
“If we send them messages they’ll learn how to fly better.”
A Sensitivity to The Natural World.
“The natural world
is full of communication or ‘messages’ beyond the written word. Children connect intuitively with these messages and use their powers of keen observation and empathy to intuit the messages (i.e. thoughts, feelings, intentions, needs) of plants and animals.” Sadie Bills, Atelierista
“These are messages for birds.”
”But how will they get the messages ?They just run away.”
“They’re scared of us. They think we’ll eat them.”
“I’m making a sidewalk for birds so we can actually see them.”
Messages for Birds
I hope you land on the best branch.
I love you birds.
I hope you have a lovely vacation on your tree.
Don’t be scared. We wont eat you!
You have to do the same thing over and over.
Dear birds, do you live in NYC?
The city is so big, how do you find your way home?
Dear birds, I hope you like your home.
I hope you have a good nest for your babies.
Dear birds, do you want a big snack? It’s going to be bird seeds.
Here is a picture of yourself, birds. Do you like it?
The messages are on the branch because birds like trees.
“We can put our hands like this to deliver the messages and then the birds will come. We’ll be careful. But will we turn into birds?”
“Well, we can test it out.”
“Oh no. They don’t like our messages. Maybe they want to see pictures of themselves.”
Eagles nest
Food
“One for the birds, one for mommy.”
“What are the birds favorite colors?”
“They like yellow so I think we should use yellow. It’s because they eat lemons.”
“Birds also like pink because they like pink flowers.”
“I’ll make a rainbow one so they can pick what color they like. It’s a xylophone they can play with their feet.”
“It’s a sport bird. It’s the kind that has a long fly.”
“Birds have simlilar colors to humans.”
What should we do with all the messages we have collected all year?
“We should go on a really high hill and we can drop them and get them to the other people.”
“They’re all for the birds. The birds can hold them with string with their feet!”
“Then they'll drop them and all the people can get them!”