Children develop at different rates. For example, Johnny might crawl before Susie- but that doesn't mean that Susie is behind in developing. They are just developing at slightly different rates. The same thoughts can be applied to art.
There are general standards and stages at which children develop artistically. I will explain those HERE!
BUT REMEMBER! Just because your child might not be drawing exactly according to a certain stage, does NOT mean they are behind developmentally. I am outlining these to give you an idea of what to look for in your child's drawing, so you can understand how to encourage them to keep growing. Most children will get to every stage in time, so enjoy reading through these and watching as your child's drawings develop!
18mo - 2 yrs
At this age children are not trying to draw certain "things". Instead, they are more amazed with simply making marks on the world (or on the walls). Their creations are more about the process than the product.
2yrs - 3yrs
Children are now starting to make connections between movements and mark making. They are learning how to repeat the same marks through specific motions, and they are creating longitudinal and circular lines.
3yrs - 4yrs
In this stage, children's kinesthetic thinking changes to pictorial thinking. The drawings probably do not look much different to adults, but to the child, it means so much more!
4yrs - 7yrs
Children in this stage are generally working from memory, although they do not assign much significance to the colors they choose in their drawings. In this stage they have the first typical representational object. For example, when your child is drawing a "tadpole figure" (a circle for the body and appendages coming off that one main mass), they are not trying to draw a realistic human. These figures are just their symbols for people. Don't be alarmed when your child draws all people to have the figure of Mr. PotatoHead, that's normal! Also, the objects they draw will most likely not be located on the ground, but rather just floating through space.
7yrs - 9 yrs
Emotions influence their drawings rather than reality. Color is finally used more intentionally and objectively. The tadpole figures are starting to evolve into more recognizable human figures. Stationary figures are generally drawn from a front- view, while moving figures are shown from the side (profile). Children's space consciousness is expanding and they start to place everything on a base-line.
9yrs - 12yrs
Finally, children's goal is now to make objects look realistic. Children are beginning to deal with abstract concepts, and their drawings are improving as well. There is more subtle color variations and even more differentiation in figures. Although the whole drawing may not be filled with detail, children will start to place many details on significant parts of the drawing. Childrens' understanding of spatial concept has made huge improvements. They are no longer portraying everything on a baseline, but showing depth through tools such as overlapping, size/proportion, and linear perspective. Children are also noticing differences in light and can add shading and shadows to their drawings.
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