Tips and Tricks for Younger Students

1. Use colored paper for the mask so that it is easy to describe which paper you are working with. “Cut the red paper.”

2. Mark or pre-cut the mask paper at the 1/3 point and draw something on the thinner piece to make it easy to identify. … “take the sheet with the star on it and tape it over the bottom of your paper.” Then when you flip it you can say “flip the paper with the star up so that you don’t see it anymore.”

3. Help the kids tape down the masks so they don’t move.

4. Only do two mask positions on the top and one on the bottom.

5. Skip the step where you add back in some color along the area you erased from.

6. Remember, it’s not about how “pretty” the picture is, it’s about the experience of creating art, making decisions and trying out different techniques. (Really young kids usually are just happy doing art. Slightly older kids can be reminded that “we are just trying this” and that no one learned to run, walk or talk in one try…it’s all about the trying and the learning.) Growth mindset!