young at art - scribbling

All young children take great pleasure in moving a crayon or pencil across a surface and leaving a mark. This form of mark-making or "scribbling" represents children's first self-initiated encounters with art. Children typically begin scribbling around one-and-a-half years of age. Most observers of child drawing believe that children engage in scribbling not to draw a picture of something; rather they do so for the pure enjoyment of moving their arms and making marks on a surface. Recently, however, a few researchers have challenged this traditional view by showing that young children do occasionally experiment with representation even though their scribbles may not contain any recognizable forms. This new perspective suggests that children's earliest mark-making activities may be more complex than previously thought. When children first start scribbling they usually don't realize they can make the marks do what they want. They often scribble in a random fashion by swinging their arms back and forth across the drawing surface. They may even look away from the page as they work. But, it doesn't take long for children to recognize the relationship between their movements and the marks on the paper. As this discovery unfolds, children begin to control their scribbles by varying their motions and by repeating certain lines that give them particular pleasure. Longitudinal marks in one or more directions may result. Circular patterns and geometric shapes begin to appear as children's perceptual and motor abilities increase. Lines are combined with shapes to form various patterns and designs. Letter forms, especially those in the child's name, may show up among the marks on the page.
Not only is scribbling a motorically pleasurable activity, but children are also interested in the traces that their motor activity leaves on a surface. - Ellen Winner	fig 1: random scribble
As children gain control of the marks on the page, they will start to name their scribbles and engage in imaginative play when drawing. A child may announce what he or she is going to draw before beginning or may look at the marks on the page afterwards and say, "This is mommy." On another day, the child may look at the same drawing and say, "This is my dog." To the adult, these drawings may be neither recognizable nor remarkably different from early scribbles done by the child. Yet, to the child making them, these seemingly unreadable marks do have real meaning.
It is unfortunate that the very word "scribble" has negative connotations for adults. - Viktor Lowenfeld	fig. 2: random scribble
The Teacher's and Parent's Role Generally, no special motivation is needed with scribblers. For most young children, scribbling is intrinsically rewarding in itself. Perhaps the greatest contribution that the teacher or parent can make is to offer children the proper materials and the encouragement to engage in scribbling. In selecting appropriate art materials for scribbling, it is important to provide children with a medium that enables them to easily gain control of the marks they make. Tools such as crayons, non-toxic markers, ball-point pens, and pencils work well. Watercolor paints, on the other hand, are difficult for young children to control and should be avoided. Tempra paint can be used provided it is mixed to a fairly thick consistency so that it doesn't run down the page. Color does not play a particularly important role in scribbling. The colors offered should be few in number and provide good contrast with the paper on which the children will work. For instance, a dark crayon, marker or pencil is recommended along with white or manila paper (12 by 18 inches). If tempra paint is used, a large fairly absorbent paper (18 by 24 inches) is recommended along with bristle brushes (one-half inch in width). Children can work on the floor or any other horizontal surface when scribbling. fig. 3: controlled scribble Talking With Scribblers When talking with the beginning scribbler, simply comment on the child's movements when scribbling. For instance, notice how fast the child's arm is moving or how big the child's movements are. As the child gains control of scribbling, comment on the variety of movements and different marks the child has made. For instance, notice the number of circles the child has made or the "nice lines going around the page."
fig. 4: controlled scribble	Just as the babbling child makes the sounds that will, in combination, becomes words, the scribbling child makes the lines and shapes that will, in combination, become recognizable objects. - Marjorie Wilson
As the child starts naming his or her scribbles, listen to the child's comments and use the meanings offered by the child as a source for dialogue. For instance, if the child says, "This is daddy," ask questions like "Is your daddy tall? Does he pick you up? Where do you go with your daddy?" If the child says, "I'm running," ask questions like "Do you like to run on the playground?" or "Where are you running?" Encouraging the child to verbalize his or her thoughts, feelings and experiences independently shows the child that you value what he or she has done. This sort of thoughtful praise will help children to be enthusiastic and imaginative in their future art encounters.

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