- Definition
When someone critiques art, they are giving helpful feedback about a finished piece or offering suggestions to make a work-in-progress even better.
Instead of saying 'I don't like the colours,' a critique would be 'The bright red draws my eye, but maybe a cooler colour would fit the calm mood.'
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: A critique is like a sports coach giving specific tips to help a player improve their game, not just saying if they won or lost.
Ask your child: What's one thing that's strong here, and one thing you would suggest?
Common mix-up: Kids may think a critique is just pointing out what's wrong. A good critique is constructive and offers specific ideas to help the artist, not just a personal opinion.
Examples
- Reviewing a dance performance by suggesting the dancer could use larger, more energetic movements to express joy.
- A critique might suggest adding more detail to the background to give the drawing a clearer sense of place.
- A critique can also point out what's working, like 'The way you used light and shadow really makes the object look three-dimensional.'
critique is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
