After eighteen months, some before, others later, children begin to sketch their first strokes. It is his first graphic expression, a form of expression of his artistic abilities that takes the form of scribble, a fundamental stage in the development of children's drawing.
Although the elderly may seem simple "scratches", for them they are great works of art. At the beginning they are uncontrolled, impulsive, unconnected strokes, which the children do by moving the whole arm, from the shoulder and that constitute the first of the stages in the artistic-plastic development of the children.
At the moment, it is a mere motor discharge, a stage of familiarization in which the choice of materials and colors is not yet of significant importance. With the development of the child and a greater understanding of the world around him, the scribbles will gradually take shape and content.
This period of children's drawing in which the child makes his first scribbles is divided into three phases: uncontrolled scribbles, controlled scribbles and named scribbles. We will see what are the characteristics of each one.
The uncontrolled doodles
The first stage of scribbling is marked by uncontrolled or messy scribbles. They are strokes without any order or meaning. They vary in length and direction, even while performing them the child can look the other way. There is no brain-eye-hand coordination.
The little one holds the pencil the best; with the whole hand, from the tip, with two fingers, and sometimes even the other way around, but generally putting a lot of pressure on the paper. He still has no visual control over his hand and makes the strokes by moving his arm from his shoulder, and sometimes moving his entire body. Little by little you will learn to make the movement from the elbow and then from the wrist and fingers. It is frequent that it leaves the paper.
The child does not intend to represent on paper (or whatever support) nothing you have seen. The doodle in this phase does not have a representative function but is based on physical and psychological development. They make uncontrolled strokes simply because it gives them pleasure. They find it pleasant to scribble because they enjoy the movement they make when making them.
In the stage of uncontrolled scribbling you have to provide the child with the right materials (waxes, folios, colored pencils, etc.) because the same thing he draws on a sheet can be done on a piece of furniture, on a wall or on a table.
The controlled doodles
As you make strokes, the drawing is perfected. What were previously untidy stripes made without any control, begin to take shape. The child discovers that there is a certain relationship between the movements he performs and the strokes that are reflected in the paper, the relationship between the kinesthetic (ability to use the whole body to express ideas and feelings) with the thoughts begins. Discover the visual control over the strokes you run, so they are now controlled scribbles.
At this stage the strokes are usually longer, and although they still take an unpredictable direction, they are made with enthusiasm and strive to fill the entire sheet. Appear line reiterations circular, cut lines, points, etc. with intersection centers.
To the pleasure of making movements that are pleasing to him is now added the satisfaction that he begins to direct his hand. In this stage of controlled scribbles, which covers up to approximately three years of age, the true visual and motor integration, which is completed upon reaching the early stages of adolescence.
Unlike the previous stage, now there is a representative intention. Try to reproduce a thought or something he has seen, although an adult cannot recognize what he has represented. Sometimes he announces what he is going to draw and sometimes he changes his mind on the fly.
Named Scribbles
It already has a greater domain engine and is able to represent what he sees, although sometimes their strokes do not look anything like the object they want to represent. Circular and longitudinal strokes evolve into more recognizable forms. The boy gives name to his doodles.
He assumes that scribbles are a form of expression and that through his drawings he generates a reaction in adults. Therefore, it is important to encourage him, without questioning or trying to correct his drawing.
It tends to center the drawing occupying different parts of the sheet and begins to choose colors with intention.
The child concentrates on representing the forms, devotes more time to them, although they usually combine recognizable forms with other incomprehensible ones.
At the end of the scribble phases, around the age of three, the pre-schematic drawing stage which takes place between 4 and 7 years of age, in which they seem representations understandable by the adult. Generally, the first thing they manage to draw is a human figure shaped like a "tadpole" (a circle for the head and two vertical lines for the legs).
Explaining the three phases of the scribble we have made an interesting journey through the early stages of children's drawing. Scribbles are the first graphic expression of the human being, therefore, we must stimulate our children, encourage them and facilitate them to express themselves freely.
Photos | timlewisnm and Seo2 | By Pure Love To Rap
In Babies and more | Stages in children's artistic-plastic development, Children's drawing, Doodles: first creative strokes
