What does the child feel? What is he thinking about? What worries and worries him? A huge number of questions! How to get into the mysterious inner world of the baby? There is an interesting and incredibly informative way - a children's drawing.
Drawings on a free theme carry the greatest value. Why? Firstly, the child is not limited by any framework. Secondly, it’s enough for an adult to take several of the baby’s creations and study them carefully.
So, in the hands of determined parents were children's masterpieces ... The first thing to do in this case is to stop, calm down and not rush. Here are a few rules that you must adhere to when diving into children's secrets:
- be as impartial as possible;
- do not make unambiguous conclusions;
- take into account several drawings made on different days;
- highlight only significant and recurring symptoms;
- postpone work and review them again the next day.
What features should I pay attention to when studying children's drawings?
The age of the child.
Surprisingly, children's creativity can be judged on the intellectual development of the child.
So, babies 2-3 years diligently displays their first points, sticks, hooks. At this age, the young artist masters the space of the sheet and his abilities in visual activity.
By the age of three, circles appear in the drawings, and then sticks are added to them. So on paper the first little man is born - the “cephalopod”.
Only by the age of four drawings become more meaningful and the baby begins to project the world around him on a piece of paper. First he comes up with a plot, and then translates his ideas into creativity. The little men are already taking on recognizable shapes, mom, dad and other significant characters appear.
In the drawings of a five-year-old child, a person already has a head, trunk, arms, legs, eyes. By six to seven years, the human image is becoming more detailed. He has a neck, ears, mouth, fingers and other details.
It is precisely the number of details corresponding to age that psychologists pay attention to when assessing the mental development of a child.
First impression.
Of course, the perception of the drawing is very subjective, but to catch the general feeling of the child’s work is extremely important. A little man projects his mood, emotional and physical state on a sheet of paper.
Take a look at how positive or aggressive the image is, whether it causes a feeling of anxiety. Try to feel what mood the drawing carries - joyful, warm, bright or sad, sad, wary. These first observations will provide a basis for reflection on the general condition of the child.
The location of the picture.
Estimating the size and location of the figure relative to the sheet, we can draw conclusions about self-esteem, possible anxiety and emotionality of the author.
Optimally, children's drawing occupies 2/3 of the usual album sheet and is located in the center. If the image is very small, located closer to the edge and there is a lot of free space on paper, then we can assume the presence of anxiety, uncertainty, low self-esteem. On the contrary, a very large picture, sometimes going beyond the sheet, can talk about impulsiveness and excessive emotionality.
Colour.
What colors the kid uses when drawing is the next thing to stop at. There is a lot of information about the meaning of colors both on the Internet and in the literature, but when considering the color scheme it is important:
- avoid ambiguous interpretations (red is emotionality, impulsivity; black is aggressiveness);
- consider only frequently repeated color combinations;
- estimate the number of colors involved in the work;
- take into account the situation in which the creative process took place.
Be sure to pay attention to the predominance of dark and gray shades. They can signal depressive states and unresolved problems of the child. Frequent use of bright red color may indicate excessive impulsiveness, or conflict and aggressiveness.
Using a rich color palette, usually 5-6 colors, speaks of the developed emotional sphere of the little artist. If there are much more shades and the picture is full of colors, you can suspect emotionality and excessive sensitivity. A child using a minimal amount of colors, 1-2 colors, may be somewhat depressed or alarmed.
The prevalence of bright, colorful shades will tell about the author’s good mood and confidence. Such colors emphasize important details for the child and the closest characters.
Lines and contours.
The lines and contours with which the drawing is made deserve special attention. Strong pressure during drawing indicates a psychomotor tone. Weak, thin lines indicate timidity, passivity, asthenic state. Frequent erasures and attempts to remake something in the work can be a manifestation of increased anxiety, insecurity. A very thick contour with a punch is a clear sign of impulsivity, tension, and possibly aggressiveness.
Conversation.
You can get even more information by talking with your child about his creative work. For the most part, babies identify with one of the characters. By asking simple questions, you can confirm or refute your fears and hypotheses. Questions may be as follows:
- Whom or what did the child draw?
- Where and with whom does the character live?
- Does he have a family?
- What does he eat and how does he get his own food?
- Who is the hero of the drawing friends with?
- What is he afraid of?
- What do the portrayed characters do?
A conversation must be built in the form of dialogue, in a friendly, and better, in a playful way.
A close examination of the children's drawing can tell about the secret experiences and internal states of the child. Even in antiquity, the Eastern sages said: "One drawing is worth a thousand words." The most important thing when trying to decipher the creations of the baby, be careful and avoid any unambiguous conclusions. Always remember that any children's masterpiece is worthy of recognition and praise, and the conclusions are a purely parental treasure and an occasion for reflection.
