ART 3112 – ART EDUCATION FOR NURSERY AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS 1

Lecturers: Philbert Gajadhar, Michael Khan

LESSON 2A

DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF ART

Tiny tot preschool and kindergarten

Scribbling is a manipulative skill and involves the ability to use one’s hands and fingers with dexterity.
Developing this skill is vital to mastering hand-to-eye coordination, which is a prerequisite for developing
the visual perception necessary to read from left to right. We have a lot of little artists here and I thought
you might be interested in just what is happening when all those works of art on your refrigerator are
created! There are three stages of art that children go through in their development.

Types of Scribbling:
Random Scribbling Stage (11months/2-3yrs)

Most children begin scribbling at about 1½ to 2 years. They will scribble on anything at hand and on
anything nearby. The floors and walls work well! Their first marks are usually an aimless group of lines.
Children simply enjoy the physical motions involved in scribbling. It is the act of doing, not the product,
that is important to the child. For toddlers, art is a sensory-motor activity. As a child draws or paints,
every part of the body moves, all working to move the crayon or brush across the paper. In the early
scribble stage, a child does not have control over hand movements or marks on the page. The marks are
random and go in many directions. There is neither the desire nor the ability to control the marks. It’s
the process, not the product. Random scribbles are universally a child’s first mark. All children go
through this preliminary stage of drawing. Randomly exploring and experimenting with different writing
tools, this stage of scribbling pleases children as they discover its possibilities. The duration of this stage
is dictated by the encouragement of teachers and parents, the child’s general health, muscle
development, coordination, intelligence, and the quantity and frequency of opportunities to randomly
scribble.

The first marks are usually random. They vary in length and direction, although there may be some
repetition as the child swings her arm back and forth. It is important to mention that scribbles are not
attempts at portraying the visual environment. To a great extent, the scribbles themselves are based on
the physical and psychological development of the child, not upon some representational intent. A child
will be fascinated with this activity. It is very important to have the opportunity to scribble. Sometimes
scribbling will be done in the dirt, on the walls, or on furniture if the proper tools and place are not
provided. So while a child is still in the stage of disordered scribbling, drawing a picture of something
‘’real” is inconceivable.

Children of this age have little visual control over their scribbling, which parents should regard as an
indication that they are not yet ready to perform tasks that require fine motor control. Very young
children may find a crayon more interesting to look at, feel, or even taste. However, two-year-olds
usually have no such problems, and scribbling activity quickly becomes a real means of expression. All
children begin with scribbling, whether they are Chinese or Eskimos, Americans or Europeans. It is quite
apparent that scribbling is a natural part of the total development of children, reflecting their
physiological and psychological growth.

Controlled Scribbling Stage (ages 2-4)

The second stage of development is signified by the introduction of geometric shapes such as circles,
ovals, squares, triangles, and crosses into the child’s art. As children gain muscle control and eye-hand
coordination, they begin to make attempts to organize their environment. They repeat shapes, hold their
tools more like an adult, and have growing control over materials. Wavy lines and rippling lines may be
interspersed with a variety of circular patterns. Children can now control their scribbles and repeat them
at will. Children now value their scribbles.

Children will discover that there is a connection between their motions and the marks on the paper
about six months or so after starting to scribble. This is a very important step, because now children have
discovered visual control over the marks they are making. Although a casual glance may show no
difference in the drawings themselves, gaining control over the motion is an important accomplishment.

Children will now spend about twice as long drawing and occasionally will like to try different colors on
the paper. They still experiment with a variety of methods of holding the crayon, though by the age of
three usually come close to an adult grip. They now understand more about trying to copy a line or a
cross but will not refer to the given model and usually strike off in unpredictable directions. By the age of
three, children can copy a circle but not a square. The scribbling now becomes much more elaborate,
and the children will excitedly discover a relationship between what they have drawn and something in
the environment.

This control over the scribble is also reflected in the children’s control over other parts of the
environment. Mother, who six months earlier could not get Alice to button her jacket, now finds that she
insists on doing it herself. She understands and enjoys practicing this new ability. The adult’s role is
increasingly important now because children will often run to an adult with these scribbles, eager to
share their excitement. It is this sharing of an experience that is important and not the scribble itself.

Naming Scribbles -The Pictorial Stage (ages 3-5)

With the two earlier stages complete, children now have the ability to draw a variety of marks that make
up their first pictures. Pictures are now made with a purpose. The basic forms in the preceding stage
now suggest images to the child that stand for ideas in the child’s mind. From the basic forms, the child is
able to draw, and particular forms are chosen. In this way, children draw their first symbol.

A symbol is a visual representation of something important to the child; it may be a human figure, an
animal, a tree, or a similar figure. Art in which symbols are used in such a way is called representational
art. Children realize that there is a relationship between objects they have drawn and the outside world
and that the picture can be used to record ideas. The child now sees the real meaning behind the
drawings and names the objects in the drawing. The human form is often a child’s first symbol. A person
is usually drawn with a circle for the head and two lines for the legs or body.

Early Naming Scribbles - Pictorial stage. In this early stage, a child works on making and perfecting one
of many symbols. Children will practice these symbols, covering sheets of paper with many examples of
the same object. At this point, a child’s picture may be a collection of unrelated figures and objects. The
child is searching for new ideas and symbols change constantly.

Later Naming scribbles - pictorial stage. In the later pictorial stage, a child draws symbols easily and
more exactly, and before long more complex drawings are made. Children use their drawings to tell a
story or describe an event. The naming of these symbols is an important step, in that artwork becomes a
clear form of visual communication. It may not look different, but the circle is now called a “sun” and
represents a specific object. A child uses symbols when he/she is ready, and no sooner. Creative
expression is the goal at this age and at all ages. In the later pictorial stage, each child has a special way
of drawing the human form, houses, and other symbols. This individual way of drawing is called a
schema. A schema or individual pattern can often be seen in drawings by age five or six and often earlier.
It is important to remember that there may be an overlap between developmental levels in art. When
the child begins to identify the objects he draws by a name, he has moved into the third stage of
development. Even though these drawn objects may be unrecognizable to adults, it is the act of naming
that is significant. For children, the objects they have drawn are easily identifiable.

Subsequently, suns (a circle), radials (a circle with rays), mandalas (a circle with a cross inside), and other
shapes from their environment begin to appear in the child’s art as they prepare for the next stage.
Supplying a wide variety of experiences aids this developmental process. However, it is important to
note that if five-year-olds are still scribbling, they are not necessarily slow learners or affected by a
learning disability.

Children will discover that there is a connection between their motions and the marks on the paper
about six months or so after starting to scribble. This is a very important step because now children have
discovered visual control over the marks they are making. Although a casual glance may show no
difference in the drawings themselves, gaining control over the motion is an important accomplishment.

Children will now spend about twice as long drawing and occasionally will like to try different colors on
the paper. They still experiment with a variety of methods of holding the crayon, though by the age of
three usually come close to an adult grip. They now understand more about trying to copy a line or a
cross but will not refer to the given model and usually strike off in unpredictable directions. By the age of
three, children can copy a circle but not a square. The scribbling now becomes much more elaborate,
and the children will excitedly discover a relationship between what they have drawn and something in
the environment.

This control over the scribble is also reflected in the children’s control over other parts of the
environment. Mother, who six months earlier could not get Alice to button her jacket, now finds that she
insists on doing it herself. She understands and enjoys practicing this new ability. The adult’s role is
increasingly important now because children will often run to an adult with these scribbles, eager to
share their excitement. It is this sharing of an experience that is important and not the scribble itself.

This next step is an important one in the development of children.

The Meaning of Colour

The experience of scribbling then is mainly one of motor activity. At first, satisfaction is derived from the
experience of kinesthetic motions, next from the visual control of these lines, and finally from the
relationship of these lines to the outside world. Colour, therefore, plays a distinctly subordinate role in
the scribbling stage. This is particularly true when children are establishing motor coordination. The
choice of many colors can sometimes divert children from scribbling. They need to be able to distinguish
their marks from the rest of the page. Therefore, it is necessary to select drawing materials that will
provide a strong contrast. Black crayon on white paper or white chalk on a blackboard is to be preferred
over colors that may not give this contrast.

Most research indicates that discrimination of objects by form comes earlier than differentiation by
color. Casey (1979) was able to have one-year-olds respond to form differences, but color differences
aroused little curiosity.
ART 3112 – ART EDUCATION FOR NURSERY AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS I

Lecturers: Philbert Gajadhar, Michael Khan

Lesson 2B - Transcript: Patterns of Writing Development for Children

Learning Outcomes
When you are done, you should be able to:

 Discuss the three stages of early writing development

 Summarize the letters and words stages of writing development
 Recall how parents can support a child in each stage of writing development

Children learn to write similarly to how they learn other skills--through watching, mimicking, and
repetition. Learn more about the stages of writing development in children, from scribbling to mock
writing to early words and more.

Writing Development
Melanie loves her son, Jeremy, very much. She knows that writing skills are very important to his future
success, and she wants to help him become a great writer, but she's not sure how to do that. How do
children learn to write? How do scribbles turn into sentences? A child's writing development begins long
before they are actually able to communicate through written language. In fact, when Jeremy scribbles
on a page, he is engaging in the very early stages of writing.
Jeremy, like other children, will go through certain stages as he develops as a writer. How quickly and at
what age he moves through those stages is personal, but there are certain milestones that Melanie can
look out for as she watches him develop. Let's look closer at the stages of writing development, and
what Melanie can do to help Jeremy at each stage.

Early Writing
Jeremy is still very young, and when he is given a pen or pencil, he uses it like a crayon: scribbling on the
page in front of him instead of writing language in a way that is recognizable to others. As we said
before, Jeremy's scribbling is an early sign of writing. In fact, the first three stages of writing
development all involve some type of scribbling.
Stage one is the random scribbling stage. This is usually around age two or three. During this stage,
children learn that moving an instrument like a pen or a crayon across a paper makes marks. The child
has very little control over how they move the writing instrument; they are moving it with their whole
body instead of just their hand or their wrist. Their scribbles, as the name implies, look random. There's
not really a pattern to them.
When Jeremy was still in stage one, Melanie helped him by encouraging him to scribble with many
different instruments. She gave him crayons and pens and pencils and markers. By providing all these
different instruments, Melanie was encouraging him to explore and figure out how different instruments
felt in his hand.
Stage two is the controlled scribbling stage. This is usually around age three, and as the name implies,
the children in this stage are still scribbling, but now the scribbles are more controlled than in stage one.
Kids at this age have better control over their muscle movements, and their scribbles begin to look more
ordered. They've realized that how they move the instrument dictates what the scribbles on the paper
will look like. This is a big realization! Once you know that if you move the pen this way, a line going that
way appears on the paper, but if you move the pen this other way, a different line will show up, you
have the beginning of understanding how to write.
When Jeremy was in stage two, Melanie was able to help him by encouraging him to try to make
different types of lines and scribbles. She can help him realize that how he moves his hand influences
what happens on the paper.
Stage three is the mock writing stage. This occurs around age three or four. During this stage, the
scribbles begin to look like letters, though they aren't real letters. For example, Jeremy made two lines
next to each other, connected by a line across the top of them. That's not a real letter, but it shows that
he sort of knows what letters look like. Also in this stage, children begin to distinguish between writing
and drawing. Jeremy, for example, asks his mom for a pen when he's writing and a crayon when he
wants to draw.
During this stage, Melanie can continue to support Jeremy's development. Whenever they read
together, she can make sure that he's noticing what letters look like. She can also continue to support
his exploration of writing by allowing him to make his fake letters during this mock writing stage.

Letters & Words

Jeremy is in the mock writing stage of writing development. So far, all Melanie has seen from him is
scribbling: first in the random scribbling stage, then in the controlled scribbling stage, and finally in the
mock writing stage. But Melanie knows that Jeremy will actually be writing soon.
In fact, the very next stage of writing development, stage four, is the writing letters stage. This is just
what it sounds like kids are able to write letters, but they are not yet forming words with those letters.
This is common around age four. During this stage, children often write strings of letters or repeat
letters. Again, these strings or repetitions are not actual words. Instead, they are often relatively
random.
When Jeremy gets to this stage, Melanie can support his development by giving him plenty of
opportunities to practice writing his letters. She can show him how to write letters and encourage him to
copy them.
Stage five is the early words stage, and usually happens around age five. During this stage, children start
to put letters together to make words, but they often do not put spaces between the words. Until closer
inspection, the work in the early words stage looks a lot like that of the writing letters stage: just a string
of letters. But when you look closer, you can see that there is a pattern to the letters and that there are
words strung together without spaces. At this stage, Melanie will want to encourage Jeremy to try
writing words. She can teach him to spell his name, for example, and common words like dog and apple.
After the early words stage, Jeremy will enter stage six, which is the words and phrases stage. At around
age six, children begin to incorporate space between their words. They understand beginning and
ending sounds and are able to clearly define the words they are writing on the paper. This, finally, starts
to look like writing as we know it. During this stage, though, words are still often misspelled, so Melanie
can encourage Jeremy at this stage by helping him develop spelling skills and learning to spell common
words.
The final stage of writing development, which occurs around age seven or eight, is stage seven, which is
the conventional writing stage. During this stage, words are spelled correctly, punctuation is used, and
writing is understandable. When Jeremy reaches this stage, Melanie will easily be able to understand
what he's writing!

Lesson Summary
Children develop writing skills through a series of stages. Stage one is the random scribble stage, during
which children randomly scribble on paper. Stage two is the controlled scribble stage, during which
children's scribbles become more structured and organized. Stage three is called the mock writing stage,
when children's scribbles begin to resemble letters.
In stage four, or the writing letters stage, children are able to write letters and often do so in a string,
but are not yet writing words. Stage five, or the early words stage, involves writing words, but not
putting space between them. Stage six is the words and phrases stage, during which space is added
between words, making it clear what the child is writing. Finally, stage seven is the conventional writing
stage, during which words are spelled correctly, punctuation is used, and the writing is clear and
understandable.
ART 3112 – ART EDUCATION FOR NURSERY AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS I

Lecturers: Philbert Gajadhar, Michael Khan

Lesson 2C – Transcript: The Processes of Scribbling & Invented Spelling

Similar to other stages of child development, the ability to become a good speller occurs over time.
Explore the stages of spelling development and changes that children experience as they progress.

Spelling Development
Cita is worried about her son Rom. He's not good with spelling. Sometimes he spells words oddly like
writing 'l-u-v' for the word 'love.' Cita wants to know if there's something wrong with Rom. Should she
be worried?
Spelling, like other skills, develops over time. Spelling development is the relatively orderly series of
stages that children go through on their way to good spelling. To help Cita figure out whether to be
worried about Rom or not, let's look at early spelling including scribbling and invented spelling.

Scribbling Stages
Rom spells things oddly now, but he used to not even be able to write at all. He would just scribble on a
page. Before writing, children begin by scribbling or making non-letter and non-picture marks on paper.
Many people might think that all scribbling is the same, but the truth is that there is actually more than
one scribbling stage in the development of spelling skills.
The first stage is the random scribbling stage wherein children make random marks on paper. In this
stage, kids learn that moving an instrument like a pen or a crayon on paper makes marks, but they have
very little control over the writing utensil so there is no pattern to their scribbles.
Cita remembers this stage. Rom was about two or three when he was in the random scribbling stage
which is very common. Because he didn't have the motor control to be able to manipulate the writing
instrument, he moved it with his whole body making large random marks on the paper.
Eventually though, like other children, Rom moved on to the controlled scribbling stage during which
children's scribbles are more controlled. They have better control over their muscle movements and can
draw with just their arm, wrist, or hand.
Rom was in the second half of his third year when he began to have more control over his scribbles,
again a pretty typical age. He figured out that how he moved the pen dictated what the scribbles on the
paper looked like. For example, he realized that moving the pen in a circle made a circle on the page,
and moving it in one direction or another produced lines that went in that direction.
By about age four, most children have moved on to the mock writing stage which is the last of the
scribbling phases. During this phase, the child's scribbles begin to look like letters, though they aren't.
For example, when he was about four, Rom drew a circle with a line along its bottom, kind of like a
sideways lowercase 'a.' Rom, like other kids in this stage, had seen enough text to realize that there
were letters, but he hadn't learned to write them yet.
Invented Spelling
Eventually, though, Rom did learn to write his letters. This happened when he was about four or five,
like most children. At that point though, he was just writing strings of letters, sometimes with numbers
and other symbols thrown in.
This is very typical of the pre-communication stage which is the first of the invented spelling stages.
During pre-communication, the child is putting together letters without meaning and usually without
any spaces either. Even if children include a real word, like their name, they do not put any spaces
between that word and the other letters around it so that it looks like one big line of letters.
After the pre-communication stage, Rom and other four to six-year-olds enter the semi-phonetic
stage when they spell words based on a very limited understanding of phonics. During this stage, it's not
uncommon for children to spell words with just one or two letters. For example, when he was in the
semi-phonetic stage, Rom wrote the word 'you' by just putting down the letter 'u.'
The final stage of invented spelling, that is, the final stage before the child begins to spell correctly most
of the time, is the phonetic stage. In this stage, kids spell words based on sounds but do not obey the
rules of spelling. For example, when Rom writes 'l-u-v' for 'love' or 't-i-m' for 'time,' he is demonstrating
phonetic spelling.
So, should Cita be worried? In large part, this depends on how old Rom is. If he is thirteen, then she
might worry, but it is common for children to be in the phonetic stage somewhere between ages five
and seven. Since Rom is six, Cita shouldn't worry. Even if he were eight, she shouldn't worry too much.
Developmental stages include variations, and a child who was still a little behind might soon catch up.

Lesson Summary
Spelling like other skills develops over time. The first stage of spelling development is the random
scribbling stage wherein children make random marks on paper. This usually occurs between ages two
or three.
Next is the controlled scribbling stage during which children's scribbles are more controlled which is
common in three-year-olds. The mock writing stage, which is the last of the scribbling stages, consists of
the child's scribbles beginning to look like letters, though they aren't. This is common around age four.
After the scribbling stages, children move on to the invented spelling stages. The pre-communication
stage is the first of these and happens when children write random strings of letters, numbers, and
symbols around ages four and five.
Then children enter the semi-phonetic stage when they spell words based on a very limited
understanding of phonics. This usually occurs between ages four and six. Finally, between ages five and
seven, children enter the phonetic stage when they spell words based almost solely on sound.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is invented spelling in preschool?

2. How should teachers address invented spelling?
3. What are the differences between random scribbling, controlled scribbling, and mock writing?
WORKSHEET

When a child writes words based solely on sound, without any thought about rules of language, she is
in the ____ stage.
1. random scribbling
2. phonetic
3. pre-communication
4. semi-phonetic
When a child scribbles things that look like letters but aren't, she is in the ____ stage.
1. controlled scribbling
2. pre-communication
3. random scribbling
4. mock writing
Winnie likes to write long sequences of letters, without any rhyme or reason to them, and with no
spaces. She is probably in the ____ stage.
1. pre-communication
2. mock writing
3. random scribbling
4. semi-phonetic
A five-year-old spells words with just one or two letters, because he doesn't understand very much
about phonics. He is in the ____ stage.
1. random scribbling
2. pre-communication
3. semi-phonetic
4. phonetic
A child is scribbling with his entire body. He is likely in the ____ stage.
1. mock writing
2. controlled scribbling
3. random scribbling
4. pre-communication
A child who writes phrases, but does not use punctuation, and misspells many words, is likely in the
_____ stage of writing development.
1. mock writing
2. words and phrases
3. early words
4. random scribbling
When children write a random string of letters, they are likely in the _____ stage of writing
development.
1. Stage 4: writing letters
2. Stage 5: early words
3. Stage 6: words and phrases
4. Stage 1: random scribbling
A child who draws things that look like letters, but aren't really letters is likely in the _____ stage of
writing development.
1. words and phrases
2. random scribbling
3. mock writing
4. writing letters
A child who scribbles on a paper, but does not fully realize that the way they move their hand
determines what type of scribbles they make, is likely in the _____ stage of writing development.
1. mock writing
2. random scribbling
3. early words
4. writing letters
When children write words without spaces between them, they are likely in the _____ stage of writing
development.
1. random scribbling
2. mock writing
3. early words
4. words and phrases

READING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES FOR JOURNAL

A DISCUSSION OF THE MEANING OF THE SCRIBBLING STAGE

Growth tends to be an erratic process. This can be seen quite dramatically in the physical growth pattern
of youngsters. Although we can say that children of a certain age have an average height of so many
inches, we find great differences in individuals; sudden spurts of growth, make us realize that growth is
not always a smooth continuous process. We have said that art is a reflection of man's reaction to his
environment; in the scribbling stage, this is easily seen, as scribbling can be looked upon as a reflection
of the physical and emotional development of children. As we find differences in growth, we also find
great individual differences in the scribbling of children.

To a great extent the differences as mentioned earlier in "Levels of Scribbling" reflect a biological change
in the child. On average we expect children to start scribbling at about the age of two and continue until
about four years of age. If there is a marked discrepancy, the child is either above or below the average
for his age.
 The whole concept of intelligence as used within our society is essentially that of relating one child to
the performances of others of his same chronological age. A child who performs tasks typical of an older
age tends to be considered more intelligent. Since scribbling is a reflection of a child's total development,
we then have here some indication of a child's intellectual growth, particularly at a time when the usual
group-type intelligence tests do not function. Therefore, a kindergarten child who is still in the scribbling
stage will not be able to perform at the level usually expected of kindergarten children. In first grade this
same child could not, nor would he be biologically ready to, learn to read. It is obvious that the
understanding of scribbling can help us understand children.

Teachers can look at the scribbles of children as being a part of the total child. There is some danger
however in looking at scribbles from the point of view of making adult interpretations of them. That is,
circles and vertical lines should be looked upon as being circles and vertical lines and not as being
symbolic or having meaning other than scribbles. When adults look at an ink spot, each person can see
within this ink spot certain figures or forms that remind them of certain aspects of their own lives. Adults
can also look at scribbles in the same way and see certain forms or shapes, but this has very little to do
with the child's meaning or intent. We may get a better understanding of an adult, but little help in
understanding children.

Some interesting work has been done in attempting to relate color and form to the personality of
children of nursery school age. A well-known study by Alschuler and Hattwick attempts to relate the
paintings of some one hundred and fifty nursery school children to certain of their behavioral
characteristics." In a two-volume report, support is given to the assumption that children expose in
painting their emotional experiences and adjustments. Those children who consistently painted in warm
colors manifested free emotional behavior in warm affectionate relations, children who preferred blue
tended to be more controlled in their behavior, and children who used black tended as a group to show a
dearth of emotional behavior. More recent studies have raised questions about these conclusions,
however. Corcoran found evidence that three-year-old children used colors in sequential order when
painting at an easel.''' That is, the colors were used from left to right or right to left on the easel tray,
regardless of what the colors were. In a doctoral study by Biehler, it appeared that nursery school
children tended to apply colors in direct relationship to how they were placed on the easel tray. This
might indicate that painting at this level is more a mechanical approach than an emotional one. Although
at this age scribbling tends to be primarily manipulative and striving for visual control, there are great
individual differences. Color as part of the scribbling process in painting is mainly exploratory, and the
use of particular colors may be related more closely to the physical arrangement of colors than to deep-
seated emotional problems.

There is a direct relationship between how a child approaches scribbling and how he relates to the rest
of his environment. His scribbles with crayons, paint, or clay exhibit the same type of characteristics the
child exhibits in other situations. This can be readily observed. Children who tend to be delicate and
timid usually have a similar approach to art materials. The scribbles themselves tend to reflect the
delicate and timid personality of a child. A child who has lost confidence in his ability to adjust to new
situations will tend to scribble in stereotyped repetitions). A lack of confidence can be readily seen in
these repeated patterns, which are drawn over and over again as a measure of security. This harmful
security can inhibit the growth of a child, as it tends to block any further development. It is therefore
important for the emotional growth of the child that he be encouraged to develop concepts
and to realize the possibilities of scribbling. It is very apparent that an adult artist uses his senses to
acquaint himself with his surroundings and also to translate these reactions to his environment into
paintings and constructions. The growth of sense apparatus is a vital necessity for everyone. We have
already discussed the early development of an awareness of kinesthetic sensations. We also can
encourage the development of tactile sensations at this age. The opportunity to examine common
materials of our environment provides a variety of both kinesthetic and tactile experiences. By
encouraging the exploration of a variety of tactile sensations, an adult can stimulate the child who
approaches clay through the use of the fingertips only. A child who does not enjoy tactile sensations may
avoid contact with different textures. Encouraging children to experience and become aware of a variety
of tactile differences can help develop this area of perceptual growth. Noticing differences between hot
and cold, hard and soft, or just enjoying the tactile differences between feathers and glass or between
metal and velvet can be an exciting experience. The child who enjoys tactile sensations will become
easily engrossed in working with clay.

Scribbling itself is primarily a kinesthetic activity, and the enjoyment of this activity is usually seen in the
young child's drawings in vigorous and large motions. However, it is important to point out that not all
children have to make large motions. To force them upon a child is just as senseless as to try to change a
delicate child into a robust one. Any imposition creates unhealthy reactions. Providing encouragement
and freedom to enjoy a variety of kinesthetic experiences can provide a firm foundation for future
development.

Only when the child enters the stage of naming or scribbling does he have the desire to use different
colors to designate different meanings? Color perception does not necessarily have to be connected with
verbal recognition of color. One of the first stages of color perception is to merely distinguish between
colors. This in no way indicates that a child should be expected to name colors, but rather that the child
should be given the opportunity to have some choice of color at this stage.

Creative children scribble independently of outside influences. Even when they scribble in a group they
seldom inquire, ask for suggestions, or look at their neighbors' work. For them, their own work provides
all the necessary stimulation. But there are also children who constantly ask questions, wondering how
to use the material, asking the way things should be done. They are also the ones who are easily
influenced by the work of others. If one child starts with big round motions, they will start to imitate
him. Lack of self-confidence and of independence in thinking are responsible for such easy influences.
These are the children who lack confidence in their own creativity. They are ready to imitate the works of
others. They are the ones who most need a boost in their creativity, and they are also the easy victims of
coloring books and of people who promote the use of patterns. Especially when a child names his
scribblings his originality and creativeness become evident. He will develop his own stories and will not
need the questions of adults. This in no way implies that the creative child is not influenced by things
around him. Rather, the creative child is one who enjoys and gets satisfaction from his own work without
the continuing approval of the teacher. Since scribbling is the beginning of creative expression, it is
especially important at this time to develop self-confidence in the child and to give him independence
and responsibility for his own work. Ideally, each child should be self-motivated to express himself and to
feel satisfaction with the process. It is sad but true that projects planned for the scribbling child
occasionally undercut his confidence. Projects that develop a dependence upon the adult, projects too
difficult for a young child to accomplish by himself, and projects conceived by and for adults — all tend
to undercut the self-confidence of children in their own means of expression.
Summary of Growth Characteristics Pertaining to the Scribbling Stage

For a better understanding of the child, it is of great importance that scribbling be looked upon as part
of the total growth pattern. A child at this age should reflect in his creative work his intellectual and
emotional development. He should pursue his scribbles vigorously yet be flexible enough to change his
movements whenever new experiences demand such changes. He should be responsible for what he is
doing and relate the scribbles directly to himself. He should be able to enjoy his kinesthetic development
through his scribbles and later gain visual control over these scribblings. Creatively, he should be
independent and free from disturbing influences. He should feel free to explore his environment through
a variety of senses and when he arrives at the naming of scribbling stage include some of these senses
within his scribblings. The drawings themselves should have a healthy variety, starting at two years of
age with a series of random markings, changing to continuous or controlled motions six months later, to
much more complicated but varied scribbles when he begins to name what he has drawn. His work with
paint will closely parallel the work with crayons, and he will particularly enjoy the use of a variety of
colors when he begins to name his scribblings. He will also enjoy working with a range of three-
dimensional materials, but no end product looking like something in nature will develop.

To provide the opportunity for a child to grow by means of his art experiences, to develop the
confidence and sensitivity so important for self-expression, to provide a range of materials and the
environmental setting so important for creative activities, providing the stimulation and motivation for
developing awareness of his environment, and to provide the encouragement and approval for the
creative act — all these responsibilities rest squarely upon the shoulders of the teacher.

Related Activities for Journal entry.

1. Collect examples of artwork from a nursery school or preschool group of children. Observe the variety
of expressions. Try to classify the scribbles according to the disordered, controlled, or naming of the
scribbling stage. Compare the drawings for use of space, control of line, boldness, or timidity of motion.

2. Collect the scribbles of one child over a period of several months. Date each drawing and note any
remarks the child made while drawing. Keep a notebook in which you record observations on the length
of attention span, materials used, amount of concentration or diversions, motions and technique used,
and the emotional reactions of the child. Compare these notes with the child's motor coordination when
eating, dressing, and so forth. Draw conclusions from the three sources of information (the scribbles, the
notes, and the behavior) as to the child's growth during this time.

3. Find out the effectiveness of your motivation during the period of naming of scribbling by comparing
one scribble done when the child was left completely alone with another made when you motivated the
child in the direction of his thinking.

4. Observe children working with clay. See if those children who make forms or shapes also give these
forms names. How does this relate to the scribbles of these same children?
 5. Watch children paint at an easel several times. Make a list of the amount of paint used and the order
of use. Shift the order of paints in the easel trough and see if there are any changes. Experiment with
two or three different consistencies of paint each week. Repeat this for several weeks to see if children
make any comments or if there is any relation between paint consistency and length of time spent in
painting.

6. When a child starts to name his scribbling, does he introduce certain lines or motions for certain
objects or experiences? Observe the development of a form for man. Collect scribbles and keep notes on
the changes in the scribbles when naming begins.

Notes

1. Rhoda Kellogg, What Children Scribble and Why (Palo Alto, Calif.: The National Press, 1959).

2. Rose H. Alschuler and LaBerta AVeiss Hattwick, Painting and Personality (Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 1947).

3. Ambrose L. Corcoran, "Color Usage in Nursery School Painting," Child Development, XXV, No. 2 (June
1954), p. 107 fl.

4. Robert F. Biehler, "An Analysis of Free Painting Procedures as Used with Preschool Children"
(Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota, 1953).