FM.F.53 SCRIBBLES SPONTANEOUSLY
From those first marks on paper, frequently achieved by banging with the crayon, the child progresses to making extended scribble. He also develops a firm concept of what the crayon and paper are for, so that he no longer needs a demonstration to get him going.
How to Assess
Materials: Paper and a thick crayon.
Method: Give the paper and crayon to your child. Do not demonstrate.
Score plus if your child scribbles spontaneously. His scribbling should include some lines. Do not score plus if he only makes dots by banging the crayon.
How to Teach
Work through these 3 steps, and begin teaching at the step where your child first experiences difficulty.
- Scribbles when scribbling is demonstrated and he is given physical help. Make bold lines and shapes when you demonstrate, and encourage your child to look closely. When you are helping him don’t hold him by the hand unless it is necessary. Guide him from the wrist or upper arm instead. This will give him a little more independence.
- Scribbles following demonstration, with no physical help. To make the transition from step 1 to step 2, make your touch on his wrist or arm gradually lighter and shorter. Once he can continue to scribble after a short, light touch to get him going, stop your physical help altogether.
- Scribbles spontaneously, as in the main objective. To make the transition from step 2 to step 3, make your demonstrations shorter and shorter, then stop them altogether. Allow plenty of time, after you have given your child the crayon, for him to organise his thoughts and respond. Let him see that you expect him to do something with the crayon.
In all steps, let your child be proud of his drawing. If other children have their artwork on display, put his up too.
Playtime and Round-the-house Activities
Drawing should be a playful activity, and even at this very early stage it is a good idea to use lots of different colours and different kinds of paper to scribble on.
Round-the-house, you can show your child different ways to scribble with his fingers – on a floury baking board, on a steamed-up mirror, in Daddy’s shaving cream on the side of the bath, on a tray with a thin layer of sand. Outside, you can scribble with sticks in sand or dirt.
Remembering and Extending
As well as going on to the more controlled strokes taught later in this sequence, you can extend your child by giving him different materials to scribble with. Some suggestions were made in the general notes at the beginning of this sequence. You will find many more ideas at your local preschool or in resource books for parents of toddlers.