Subject adaptation · Years 1–3 · The Arts · Field-Based STEM · Tony Jones
Even our youngest learners can name what is theirs and what came from somewhere else. The boundary does not need to be complicated to be real.
Phase 1
I Will Choose
Phase 2
A Tool May Help
Phase 3
Making Begins
Phase 4
I Can Explain
The Strategy
Before any creative task begins, children name one thing they will choose themselves, such as a colour, a character, or a shape.
Children name one thing a tool or an adult may help with, such as printing, cutting, or showing an example.
Children name one thing they must be able to explain about their finished work.
The three boxes can be spoken aloud and recorded by the teacher rather than written, depending on the child's stage.
At the end of the task, the child explains their chosen thing. That explanation is the evidence of creative thinking.
In Practice
Visual Art
A child says they will choose the colours for their picture, the teacher may help cut out shapes, and the child must explain why they picked their main colour.
Music
A child says they will choose the order of sounds in a short pattern, a recording device may help them hear it back, and the child must explain why they put one sound first.
Drama
A child says they will choose how their character moves, a picture prompt may help them imagine the setting, and the child must explain why their character moves that way.
Implementation Notes
Decision Checkpoint
Complete the card before materials or tools are handed out, even informally. The boundary loses meaning if it is set after making has already started.
Teacher Judgement Note
At this age the explanation sentence matters far more than the boundary itself. A child who can say why is showing ownership, regardless of how the work looks.
Related Frameworks
Decision Vignette · Evidence Overlay · Trace Map
Tony Jones · Founder, Field-Based STEM · Tomorrow Ready Resources · Free to use and share
