The Use of Graphic Techniques with Preschool-Aged Children

This paper presents a short outline of graphic techniques, their characteristics and development. Examples of good teaching practice have been presented in the paper, especially the work of Italian designer and pedagogue Bruno Munari. In a very creative yet technically simple way, Munari offered children imprinting activities, both mechanical and digital, by the use of the printing machine. The second part of this paper is the analysis of the preliminary research which aimed to find out the level to which a group of female teachers were familiar with graphic techniques; the extent to which they used them in their work with children; and which are, according to the participants, possible obstacles in the use of graphic art techniques. For these purposes, a questionnaire was prepared and used with 35 female preschool teachers from a number of preschool institutions of the County of Istria. The results have shown that the participants evaluated their knowledge of the flat print as very good and the general knowledge of the deep print as very poor; the most frequently used are the high-end and flat print techniques, while the least used are the deep and digitalized print. According to preschool teachers, the largest percentage of suggested obstacles relates to the lack of equipment. Further research on a larger sample is suggested, while preschool teachers should be offered art training directed toward the adaptation and simplification of graphic techniques for preschool-aged children. We are of the opinion that this could increase the frequency of the graphic techniques offer and consequently enrich children's creative processes.