The Development of Drawing and Writing

Stage 1 Drawing: SCRIBBLING--Children’s random left-right scribbles in the second year of life evolve into controlled and intentional marks in various directions by the third year. Two-year-olds also are becoming aware of color and placement of designs. Stage 1 Writing: PRELITERATE

Stage 2 Drawing: PRE-SYMBOLISM--At age three most children begin to make their first representational pictures. These are usually composed of circles, lines, and crosses, and require the child’s explanation in order to recognize the drawing’s content. Never ask a child “What is it?” when shown his or her art--this can be highly insulting to a young artist who feels that the subject of his or her work is obvious. Instead, an open-ended “Tell me about your picture” is much more appropriate. Stage 2 Writing: PRELITERATE

Stage 3 Drawing: SYMBOLISM--Most three- and four-year-olds’ first representational pictures are of “tadpole people,” or a large smiling head with arms and legs protruding from it. As children mature, more and more facial features and body parts are added so that their people become most realistic. Children use culturally recognized symbols (such as a radiating mandala to represent a sun) in place of actual objects. At age five or six, children add a baseline so that objects are no longer floating in space. Stage 3 Writing: EARLY EMERGENT (Letter-Like Forms)--At three and four years, children like to pretend to write by making letter-like figures. Preschoolers can now separate drawing from writing. At around age four, most children will shift from using a fist to hold a crayon or pencil to using their thumb and fingers (pincer grasp).

Stage 4 Writing: EMERGENT (Letter Strings and Symbol Relationship)--Many four-year-olds are able to write actual letters, although reversals and mistakes are common. They can often write their first names and copy simple words.

Stage 5 Writing: TRANSITIONAL (Invented Spelling)--Four- and five-year-olds are able to match sounds with letters and begin to spell words themselves.

Stage 4 Drawing: REALISM--At around age six, children are able to draw things more to scale (rather than in terms of their importance to the child). Young schoolagers can also make more conventional figures and objects. By nine or ten years, most children give up using the baseline and try to draw depth and three dimensions. Many at this age become frustrated by their inability to make realistic-looking art and may give up trying. Others will continue to progress in their artistic development.

Stage 6 Writing: FLUENCY (Traditional Spelling)--At ages five through seven, children are able to write most common words correctly. They can also use more conventional spacing, directionality, and some punctuation.