文/老Na
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新年好。
今天这篇分享，来自我的小姨Helen，她在美国带一对非常可爱的龙凤胎。我知道很多和我一样的新手父母，从娃一出娘胎，就早早地思考孩子的教育问题，想让孩子学点儿琴棋书画，接受艺术熏陶。Helen分享了她带两个孩子在美国学画画的经历，希望对你们也有启发。
另外，Helen希望我能把文章翻译成中文，方便大家阅读，但我怕自己水平有限，翻译出来词不达意，于是我把她写的原文也一起放出来，大家可以对照着看（就当作提前为辅导娃的英语作业做准备鸭！
）。
以下是正文：
大家好，我是Helen。
在带娃学艺术这个问题上，我有三个不同的经历，差别很大又相当有趣。今天我会先说说带娃学画画。
就我个人的成长经历来说，我在国内从来没有接受过艺术方面的教育。我不懂画画。一直到现在我在美国工作，每次办公室里要讨论一些工作上的事情或者空闲时间大家玩一玩的时候，我的美国同事们都能够很轻松地在白板上画上几笔，就可以画出一些很好玩的东西。而我，从来不会尝试去画，因为我完全不懂。
所以，我让两个孩子早早开始学画画，开始他们的美术教育，并不是想让他们将来成为画家，而是希望他们体验到画画的乐趣，学会一些未来可以用得上的画画的基本技巧。
I have 3 experiences on art classes, all different and quite interesting.
As you know growing up in China I have not been taught on arts. I don't know how to draw. Whenever we had some game or discussion in the office, US co workers can draw things on the white board, some times they add some humorous things. I won't even try. So to get kids starting the drawing, art learning, it's not like we want them to be some artist. It's more just for some fun and basic skill for life.
在画画这件事情上，我们开始得很早。小双胞胎四岁半的时候，我就开始实地考察附近的画室了。我在网上搜到一些画室，但他们只提供课程给六岁以上的孩子，我只找到一个画室接纳五岁大的小孩。于是我打电话过去，然后约了一节体验课，时间是某个星期六下午一点。价格是一节课一小时三十刀，一周一节课。但这节体验课免费，目的是让你尝试一下看看是否可行，再决定报不报名。
We started very early. When they were 4.5 years old, I started to look around the arts studio around my area. I saw couple studios online search, and they only offer classes for kids 6 years old above. I only found one taking 5 years old. So I called, and set up a trial section on next Saturday at 1:00pm. The price for art class is $30 for 1 hour section, once a week. But the trial lesson is free. It's for you to give a try and see if it works, then you decide if you want to sign up the class.
说实话我挺好奇的，我不知道老师会怎么教，也不知道四岁半大的两个娃能不能适应。到画室以后，我看到地方不大，老师叫Alla，她的先生在帮忙看着来学画的孩子。Alla老师对小盆友很友善很温和，我猜她也会说俄语。
画室有两间房，一间作教室，我瞄了一眼另外一间，看起来应该是她的储物间。教室里，一面墙上书架全是画画的书，和一些学生没完成的画作。另一面墙上有很多尺寸大一点的画，看起来是大人画的作品。教室里面有两张桌子，一张可以坐六个孩子，有不同年龄段的学生在上课。
I was very curious, not sure what to expect. We got there, it's a small studio run by a the teacher and artist, named Alla, and her husband is helping out a bit to settle the kids. Alla has a friendly and warm personality with kids, and I think she also speaks Russian. There are two rooms, with a connecting door. I took a peek of the other room, it looks like all her supplies room. The front room is the class room. On one side the wall is a book shelf with all the art books, and the unfinished prints that student left in the studio. On the other side there are a lot of unfinished bigger printings, more like some adult work. There are 2 tables, each one can sit 6 kids, different age kids.
（Alla的画室）
当我的小双胞胎坐下后，Alla老师问他们想画什么，任何东西都可以。孩子决定画什么之后，她找出一本书，让孩子们看看里面相关的主题/样本 （subject/sample），然后开始画画。她还会为孩子们提供彩色铅笔和画画的材料。在这一小时里，她会四处走动看看孩子们是不是需要一些帮助。
When our kids arrived and sit down, she will ask what they would like to draw, anything. Once the kid decided what he wants to draw, then she will find a book contain the subject/sample for the kids to look at, and start to draw. She will also provide the color pencil and paint material for the kids. During this 1 hour, she will walk around to help the kids a bit if needed.
一开始我和老公有点担心孩子们跟不上。你知道，画画这个事情对我们两个4岁大的孩子来说是从未接触过的。小双胞胎一坐下，我就马上走上前去，问Alla，“现在我该做点什么去帮他们吗？” Alla回答我，她希望我们不要去打扰，因为这是她的工作。好吧，那我和老公就一边儿凉快去，我们就坐在门口看着两条化骨龙上课。
但我心里对Alla一下有了好感，因为她能够明确地告诉家长不要去帮助孩子。这表明她作为老师是有原则的，她没有去取悦家长来招揽生意。一小时过去了，孩子们在Alla的课上完成了画画和上色。我们毫不犹豫地决定报名参加这个课程。
We were a bit worried that the kids can't follow. You know, this whole thing is new for 4 years old. They sit down," now what do I do?" I walked up a bit to help my kid, Alla said she preferred us not to interrupt since it's her job. So we sit by the door to watch the trial section, observing. It's a positive sign for me when Alla had no problem to tell the parents not to interrupt. It shows she has her principle and not try to please the new customer in order to get more business. With Alla paying more attention for our kids, new and on trial run, the kids finished a printing after 1 hour, drew and printed. We decided to sign on the class with no hesitation.
（两娃在画画）
总结学画画的这个经历，我有几点体会：
1.我们问孩子们：“你喜欢吗？你想再来这里吗？”
我们的理论是，我们让他们做的一切，首先他们必须自己感兴趣。如果他们说不，或者他们在这里不开心，我们就不会继续让他们在这里呆着。对于4岁大的孩子来说，最大的问题是他们是否可以坐在那里呆上1个小时，集中精力去做一件事。这节课下来，看起来他们是可以的，他们说他们还想再来学画画。
1. We asked the kids "do you like it? do you want to come again?" Our theory is everything we get them to do, they have to like it first. If they say no, or if they are not happy, we will have to kill it. At 4 years old, the biggest concern is if they can sit there for 1 hour and get focused to do anything. Some how they can, and they said they will come again.
2.学画画还有一个问题是，我不希望他们去临摹老师画的东西。
在某些画室，特别是中国的画室，会让小孩排排坐，老师画一笔，教孩子们画一笔。手把手教学，有样学样。最后，那个临摹得最像原作的作品，看起来就是最完美的画作。但是，这种手把手教画画的方式我很不认同。而这个工作室，更像是一个非常私人的画画课， 孩子们可以画他们喜欢的东西。他们可以选择在这节课上画什么。这里的孩子们都是不同的年龄段(我们的孩子在里面是最小的)。有一些年长的孩子坐在同一张桌子上，静静地画着自己的东西，超级专注。他们为那些年纪小的孩子们树立了好榜样。
（两个孩子的作品）
2. One concern about learning drawing, is that I don't want them to learn the way that they are copying whatever the teacher's drawing. Certain studio, especially Chinese ones, would get tons of kids sitting one by one, then the teacher draw and kids follow step by step. Whoever do the best copy, he will look good with best picture. This studio, it's more like individual private lesson that each kid is drawing the things they like. They get to choose what to draw on that day. The kids are all in different age (ours are the little ones among them). There are older kids who sits there on the same table quietly drawing their thing, super focused. They set a good example for the younger ones.
3. 老师的性格很重要。
这位老师性格开朗。她对孩子们来说就像朋友一样，相处很愉快，也很舒服。这一点很重要，后来的课程也证明了这一点。我的两个孩子都非常喜欢去这个画室，每周都去那里，他们喜欢在开始画画之前和和Alla聊天或开玩笑。如果他们有事没去成，他们就会很想她。所以遇到一个能保持孩子学习兴趣的老师非常关键。
3. The teacher has a bubbly personality. She is very pleasant and comfortable to hang out with kids like friends. This is important and it was proved later. After a while my kids love to go to this studio each week, they go there chat and joke with Alla, they enjoy hanging out with Alla before they started the drawing. They miss her if they don't go. Keeping the interest up for kids is the key.
4.终于有自己的自由时间。
我们感到很安全，也很高兴把熊孩子送到画室。因为终于可以有1小时属于自己的时间了！谢天谢地！因为我们在美国没有父母/公婆帮我们带孩子，所以能有一小时自由活动时间非常宝贵。我们就像付钱给一个昂贵的保姆，但孩子们确实可以学到一些东西。
4. We feel safe and happy to drop off the kids for 1 hour in the studio, so we have one hour free time for ourself. It's such a break. We don't have support system in US, the worst case to see this, would be like paying an expensive babysitter but kids are learning something.
不知不觉孩子们在Alla这里学画画已经有一年半了，直到他们6岁的时候我们让他们去另一个工作室继续学画。我们每周都有一幅他们的画作带回家，随着时间的推移，看上去他们画得越来越好。
（两个孩子的作品）
双胞胎开始上学了，上学以后有很多场合他们都需要画点什么，我们的孩子总是在画得最好的那个队列里，他们的画作让很多人眼前一亮。毫无疑问，这增强了他们的信心。画画成了一种习惯，帮助孩子们学会放松自己，他们在玩耍后画画，出去外面吃饭等上菜的时候也画画。
我很高兴我们能让他们在这么小的时候就开始画画，并且能一路坚持到现在。等他们再长大一些，他们就要花很多时间在学习上，也许就没有时间去学画画了。如果他们没有从小就养成画画的习惯，我们很难强迫他们开始上艺术课，并分配时间去做这件事。
It's been 1 and half years, until we stop this moved to another studio at 6 years old. We got one painting to take home each week, and the painting looks better and better over time. Kids started in formal school and so many occasions they have to draw things, and our kids are always among the best ones and impressed a lot of people. This built up their confidence. Drawing becomes a habit and helps kids relax at home, they draw after playing, they draw in the restaurant waiting for food. I am glad we are able to get them started this young and make it so far this way. Once they get older, they will be occupied so much on academic and homework. If they don't have the habit built out already, it will be hard to force them to start the art class and allocate the time to do that.
（两个孩子的作品）
这就是孩子们的第一次艺术体验。我会考虑把另外两次经历也写出来，因为两种艺术教学方法是非常不同的。看看我能不能找到时间吧
( Ok this is the first Art experience. I am thinking to write two more experience since both art teaching method are very different. Let's see if I can find time. )
Helen
-END-
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