Witnessing the Passion of a Third Grade Artist

Ali Haller
LTC 4240: Section 2

To watch a child create art is to watch an elaborate story unfold. It is a journey into their
imagination, where nothing is off limits and everything has meaning. To the child, it is an escape
into their own world. No longer will math be limited to numbers and no longer will language
arts be limited to essays: The arts enable us to have experience we can have from no other
source (Eisner, 2002). With integrated art, children can express themselves in different ways
than the traditional curriculum allows for. This will open doors for the students, as there is no
limit to art. Teachers will better understand their students thinking, as the arts will give a
glimpse of the students mind.
We are our stories. We compress years of experience, thought, and emotion into a few
compact narratives that we convey to others and tell to ourselves (Pink, 2006, p. 115). Artistic
development can be a resource to show the progression of academic and personal experience.
According to Victor Lowenfeld and W.L. Brittain (1970), there are six stages of artistic
development: the Scribbling Stage, the Preschematic Stage, the Schematic Stage, the Gang Age,
the Pseudo-Naturalistic Stage, and the Adolescent Art Stage. With each stage, the artistic
development grows as the childs mind grows. The Scribbling Stage, which occurs from ages 24, is the beginning of self-expression. Lines and circles represent people or actions. The
Preschematic Stage begins the first representational attempts. Hands and feet transform from
scribbles and details are being added. This occurs from ages 4-7. Next is the Schematic Stage,
from ages 7-9. The achievement of form concept begins as arms and legs show volume and
proportions show emotional value. The Gang Age happens from ages 9-12 and represents
dawning realism. After, there is the Pseudo-Naturalistic Stage which occurs between ages 1214. This is when proportions become correct and facial expressions vary for meaning. Finally,

the last stage is Adolescent Stage, or the period of decision. This happens from 14-17 years of
age (Brittain, W.L. & V. Lowenfeld, 1970, p. 474-479).

Method
I was able to apply these stages to my analysis of a third grade student and her drawing.
For this study, I gave a blank piece of paper and crayons to Lila (pseudonym) and simply asked
her to draw. Lila was chosen for this study, because the teacher has witnessed her tendency to
draw in class. The teacher informed me that Lila would love to draw for me. I soon found out
how much Lila loved art. She was hesitant at first, but she picked up her pencil and started with
a horizon, saying that she was trying to draw grass and ground. Lila switched to the crayons,

as she added grass. She used many different shades of green to create a savanna, because
there is tall grass. Lila was quiet, yet concentrated, as she added to her drawing. She began to
draw many animals, pointing out the colors she needed to draw them. I asked her why she
chose to draw so many animals, with which she answered I like animals. I want to be a
zookeeper when I grow up. Lila finished up her drawing with a few environmental details,
adding a mountain on the right side, a circus in the middle, space with planets, and the sun in
the left corner. Lila decided to label her objects. Last second, Lila decided her sky needed
falling bananas!
Findings
As Lila drew for me, I was immediately exposed into her passion for drawing. She was
lost in the world she created for herself- a world of falling bananas and an abundance of
animals. What I found especially interesting was her choice of what to draw. Without thinking,
Lilas passions guided her to the theme of her drawing. According to Burton (1980), the
emergence of the ability to make visual symbols, to create and communicate meaning through
manipulating materials such as paint, clay, paper, is a momentous and important step in all
childrens development (p. 60). I believe that by Lila choosing to draw animals playing among a
savanna, it was a way to express her dreams of being a zookeeper.
Lila shows the artwork of a child in the Schematic Stage. Lowenfield & Brittain (1970)
state the characteristics of this stage. A baseline is established in the beginning, with drawing a
horizon. Objects were placed on the baseline and the space between represented the sky. The
environment was symbolized when Lila drew tall grass in the savanna. Her characters showed

signs of a form concept that is repeated. The type of animal did not matter, as she drew all
arms and legs with volume (p. 476). Lila shows great artistic development as she grows with age
and ability. The red panda sits on top of the swing set and the bunny perches on top of a tree
branch. Her drawing shows emerging characteristics of the next stage, the Gang Age, with her
interrelationships between objects being shown. There is promise that she is transitioning into
the next stage and that her artistic development will keep growing.
Conclusion
I had only been in this third grade classroom three times. After working with Lila, I feel
that I have built upon our relationship. I have a better understanding of how she thinks, what
she likes, and her development as a student. Although I am not her main teacher, I will relay my
findings to the host teacher for educational benefits. Now that I know about Lilas interests, I
can individualize her learning. For example, I could pull books on animals so that she is more
engaged during reading. I can integrate art into science or social studies to allow Lila to express
her thoughts the way she feel comfortable. Through witnessing her drawing process and
analyzing her artwork, I saw Lila as an artist who wants to be a zookeeper. I learned beyond the
number that defines her on the academic scale; I learned about her passions and dreams.

References

Burton, J. (1980). Developing Minds: School Arts.

Eisner, E. (2002). The Arts and the Creation of Mind. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Lowenfield, V. & Brittain, W.L. (1970). Creative and mental growth. New York: Macmillan.
Pink, D. (2006). A Whole New Mind. New York: Penguin Group.