Nurturing early years creativity and expression
Quality early years education is an essential element of healthy childhood development. Catalina Gardescu, director of admissions, marketing and communications at Copenhagen International School (CIS) and Massimo Ferrari, early years creativity and expression teacher at CIS, talk about what this means in practice in their international school setting.
9 December 2024
This article is taken from the Winter 2024/25 issue of
Relocate Think Global People magazine
Click on the cover to access the digital edition.Visit The Copenhagen International School's Featured School page
Catalina Gardescu: Massimo, thank you for joining me. Can you please tell me a few things about yourself as an educator?Massimo Ferrari: I have a passion for early childhood education. I've dedicated my career to creating inspiring and enriching learning environments. I have worked in diverse international settings, including Moscow, San Francisco, Italy and Denmark and I've gained experience in designing and implementing innovative curriculum across both the IB curriculum and Reggio Emilia approaches. Currently, I'm thrilled to be part of the CIS community as a creativity and expression teacher. My focus is on fostering children's imagination, curiosity and visual language literacy through a variety of engaging learning contexts in the atelier.Catalina: Let's dive into creativity and expression. This phrase often leads to a lot of curiosity. What exactly do we mean by it in the framework of the Primary Years Programme?Massimo Ferrari: That’s a great starting point, Catalina. Creativity and expression are broad concepts. Within our programme, they extend far beyond painting or music. They are about exploration, inquiry and the freedom to connect ideas, senses and emotions to the world around us. For instance, when we talk about creativity in the classroom, it’s not just about the act of creating, but also about how children process and understand concepts. Take a provocation, for example, like an open-ended question, an object, or even an experience, like a walk in the forest. These sparks help children connect prior knowledge to new experiences, leading to deeper understanding and new insights.Catalina: Could you give an example of how you’ve incorporated this into a learning experience?Massimo: Certainly! Recently, we explored the concept of change with our students. During a field trip to the forest in late autumn, we asked the children to observe not just what they saw, like the changing colours of leaves, but what they heard. We asked them to close their eyes, listen to the crunch of leaves underfoot and reflect on the sound of the forest. When we returned to the classroom, the children expressed these auditory experiences through drawing. They connected what they heard with visual patterns and lines they had been studying. This allowed them to blend sensory perception with artistic creation, developing both fine motor skills and emotional understanding.Catalina: That’s beautiful. It sounds like this approach also ties closely to embodiment and sensory awareness.Massimo: Absolutely. It’s about listening to the body before listening to the mind – a concept that may seem new, but is, in fact, something fundamental that we may have gotten away from in our modern, digital world. By guiding children back to their senses, we nurture their natural curiosity and help them form genuine, embodied connections to their environment.Catalina: Speaking of tools, how do you incorporate technology into this process without losing that sensory connection?Massimo: Technology, when used thoughtfully, can enhance these experiences. For instance, we might use an iPad or a digital microscope to record and magnify elements of a child’s exploration – like a close-up of tree bark they found in the forest. We then use a graphic tablet to draw on top of their recorded movements, creating a layered reflection of their experience. This allows children to connect sound, movement and visual representation, fostering a deeper understanding of their world.
Related reading
- The value of primary school education in an international school, in the PYP
- The importance of early years education
- Creating a Culture of Inclusion: The DEIJB Initiatives at CIS
Catalina: That’s a fascinating intersection of the digital and natural worlds. It reminds me of the Reggio Emilia philosophy and the idea of the hundred languages of children.Massimo: Yes! Loris Malaguzzi said it best:The child hasa hundred languagesa hundred handsa hundred thoughtsa hundred ways of thinkingof playing, of speaking.Children have a hundred languages and often society reduces them to just a few. At CIS, we strive to give children the tools and freedom to express themselves in as many ways as possible – through nature, art, digital media and beyond.Catalina: How do you navigate this with such a diverse student body?Massimo: It begins with active listening. In our classrooms, we provide open-ended materials – clay, wires, forks, natural objects – paired with varied surfaces and textures. For example, we might use clay as a medium, which is tactile and primal. Children can manipulate it to explore balance, shape and emotion, connecting these explorations to broader concepts like nature or community. This process respects their individual experiences while also fostering collaboration. It allows children from different cultural backgrounds to bring their own perspectives, creating a rich, shared learning environment.Catalina: That approach seems especially impactful for neurodiverse children. Would you say creativity and expression offer them unique opportunities?Massimo: I wouldn’t say better opportunities, but certainly more room to explore at their own pace. Our system is designed to meet children where they are and provide them with safe spaces to learn and grow. Neurodiversity often signals that the traditional system isn’t meeting modern needs and through creativity we can adapt to better support these students.Catalina: It’s a refreshing perspective. How does CIS balance this open-ended, inquiry-based learning with the need for structure, particularly when it comes to assessment?Massimo: Assessment here isn’t about checking boxes; it’s about making learning visible. For example, if we’re studying tree bark, we start by breaking stereotypes of what a tree ‘should’ look like. Children use their bodies to mimic tree shapes, explore balance and then translate these observations into detailed drawings. This process builds knowledge incrementally. It’s not just about the final outcome, but also about understanding how children develop logical, motor and expression skills through the journey.Catalina: I love the idea of "making learning visible." It sounds like it also fosters a sense of agency.Massimo: Exactly. When children see their own progress, then they begin to take ownership of their learning. They trust the process – and their teachers. And trust is the foundation of meaningful education.Catalina: It’s inspiring to hear how CIS fosters not just creativity, but also community and relationships. How does this shape the broader school culture?Massimo: Relationships are at the heart of everything we do. Whether it’s among students, teachers or parents, we focus on building a community where everyone feels seen and supported. Our goal is to provide a continuum of growth – from early years to graduation – ensuring children leave not just with knowledge, but also with a deep understanding of themselves and the world.Catalina: It sounds like a remarkable journey for both students and teachers. Thank you for sharing this insight, Massimo.Massimo: My pleasure, Catalina. At the end of the day, it’s about creating a space where everyone – children and adults – can learn, grow and imagine new possibilities together.
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