Running head: A CHILDS DRAWING ANALYSIS

A Childs Drawing Analysis

Abbey Zang
University of Missouri

A CHILDS DRAWING ANALYSIS

2
Introduction

Art is a necessary experience for children. It is a way for them to be individuals and explore
what they are capable of. Also, a lot can be determined about a childs development by
examining their artwork. It was not until I learned about the stages that I could look at a drawing
and estimate the age of the child. By focusing on the size, shape and placement of the aspects of
the drawing you can tell so much about a young artist. It can be determined whether the student
is a reader yet and what motor skills they have. In this paper I will be analyzing a piece of
artwork to see what stage a child is at in his or her development.
Methods
Involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical
thinking, and verbal skill. Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence,
and teamwork (Smith). Art affects the development of children and if we want our students to
succeed in academics then art is a great way to help. It will also help us get an idea of where our
students are at academically. I will take a close look at the different aspects of the childs
drawing to help me determine where this child is at in developing. By examining the facial
features and placement of the photo I will be able to tell a lot about the child.
Findings
The picture I am analyzing is of a horse. The legs are very skinny, and the tail is larger than
the legs. The neck is long like a horse while the shape of the head is more circular like a person.
The head is on profile with a line for a smile and a dot for the eye. There is a mane drawn and
some shape on the back of the horse that is representing a saddle. There is a small sun drawn
close to the head of the horse. The horse is placed in the middle of the page with no other
background besides the sun. According to Brittain and Lowenfelds stages, the child who drew

A CHILDS DRAWING ANALYSIS

the picture is in the age range of 4-7 years and is at the preschematic stage. There are certain
characteristics that determine this stage that Brittain and Lowenfeld list. The characteristics that
allow me to know that the child is at this stage are that the horse is floating in the middle of the
page and the horse is looking at the viewer and is smiling. Also, the size of the legs and tail are
not in proportion to one another.
Brittain and Lowenfeld (1970) say that at this stage art becomes communication with the
self (p. 475) and you can tell the child was thinking to himself about all the different aspects of
a horse. The child included a saddle and a mane that sometimes are not as memorable when
thinking of drawing a horse at a young age. I do believe that the child is at the later part of this
stage since the drawing is not so much a scribble and has features that are more advanced such as
adding a sun and having multiple features of the horse drawn. It appears that this child is
probably already a reader and will continue to become more advance if they continue practicing
art. Reviewing this piece of art has shown how much art truly does for children. It gives them
an outlook that is different than math and reading that can let their brain explore and figure
things out.
A report by Americans for the Arts states that young people who participate regularly in the
arts (three hours a day on three days each week through one full year) are four times more likely
to be recognized for academic achievement, to participate in a math and science fair or to win an
award for writing an essay or poem than children who do not participate (Lynch, pp. 9). If
children have art in their lives then they can be more advanced learners. Art helps students
become more developed cognitively and academically. It is important to let the mind wonder
and create so students can become individuals. It also allows them to explore ideas and figure
out how things work together and to problem solve to make a picture turn out how they want.

A CHILDS DRAWING ANALYSIS

All this practice problem solving develops childrens skills in reasoning and understanding.
This will help develop important problem-solving skills necessary for success in any career
(Strauss). A child can be so much more successful when they have art be a part of their life and
weekly routine.

Conclusion
Art is a very important part of a childs life and without it they would never develop as well
and as fast as they would with it. As a teacher this is a way for me to be able to get an idea of
where a student is. It can be hard to tell just from assignments how far along a student is but
when you look at a piece of art that student made it gives a whole new perspective. You get an
idea of what is going on in the childs mind and how advanced their skills are. Without art there
would be know way into a childs mind to see where they are artistically along with many other
aspects that have to do with their academic level.

A CHILDS DRAWING ANALYSIS

References
Brittain, W.L. & V. Lowenfeld. (1970) Creative and Mental Growth. New York, NY.
MacMillan Co. pg 475.
Lynch, G. H. (n.d.). The Importance of Art in Child Development . In PBS. pp. 9. Retrieved
September 19, 2014, from http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/theimportance-of-art-in-child-development/

Smith, F. (2014, April 13). Why Arts Education Is Crucial, and Who's Doing It Best. In
Edutopia. Retrieved September 19, 2014, from http://www.edutopia.org/arts-musiccurriculum-child-development

Strauss, V. (2013, January 22). Top Ten Skills Children Learn From the Arts. In the
Washington Post. Retrieved September 19, 2014, from
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/01/22/top-10-skillschildren-learn-from-the-arts/

A CHILDS DRAWING ANALYSIS