Child's Art Development Theories

Theorists outlined the child's art to pass through certain stages of development as the child grow up.Brittan and Lowenfeld (1987:37)postulate that,"As children change so does their art."The theorists presented some stages of child's art development.
Brittan and Lowenfeld (1987)identify the first stage as of scribbling (the age range two-four years).At this stage children are expected to start by putting random marks on paper and gradually go into drawing.The impression on paper along curved lines.The pencil is held differently as long as it makes the marks and the pencil is not lifted off the paper until the child is finished.The child does not have any visual control over the drawings.Gradually the child repeats marks as they gain control over the tool.They are said to pass through three types of scribbles which are disordered ,controlled and naming scribles.
The second stage according to Brittan and Lowenfeld (1987)is the preschematic stage .That's where children with about four to seven years old now able to draw objects in their immediate environment such as human beings ,food,trees among others.Trial of different scheme that would stand for a particular subjects /idea to be used later in life.The symbol is flexible and it undergoes many changes to suit child's interests.It represent the child's active knowledge of environment and alteration may mean emphasis to be pressed. Kellog (1970)concurs that at this stage children are eager to learn but their listening span is very short.A tangible record of the child's thinking can easly deduced from diagrams.The diagrams are drawn from different shapes.
The third stage presented by the theorists is schematic stage(seven to nine years)Brittan and Lowenfeld clearly explain that the children draw diagrams of straight lines starting from the bottom of the paper.The deviation expressions of experience is seen and also diagrams are drawn in a descriptive manner.The child settles on one symbol to represent a human being.Proportion is of great importance at this age.Inclusion of the environment on the picture X-ray,fold over , multi view point and colour is now related to the objects.The scheme is affected by the environment. A sense of aethestics is reflected by colouring objects at this stage.Barker(1988)agrees that ,the psychmotor skills is shown by pupil's drawings.
The stage of realism/ gang stage child draws from nature and not imagination.The child feels more secure in a group or gang. The child belog to his/her own sexual group and the drawings depicts activities of that sexual group.For example boys interested in sports,cars,heroes whilst girl motivated by family lives ,pretty dresses pretty flowers and other beautiful objects.The cooperation with adults is at very low level.

The reasoning stage of visual realism usually of children of 10-11 years .Children can now draw three dimentional ,perspective and overlaping objects.The child becomes aware of his own limitations and can not able to meet the teacher/parents' requirements.The child is now lack of interests to go to school and loss of confidence.The child start to cheat and making trick dodges from teachers and parents.This devlops fear of the reactions of the parents,teachers and peers.Art ceases to be an adequate mode of personal expressions.
The final stage is when the child is now transforming from childhood to adulthood is known as the crisis of adolescence which usually peak at 13 years and above.which also known as repression stage.The use of art as a spontanous means of expression is abandoned.There is now dependence of copying and tracing.The teacher and parents are regarded as not so important and the major lost of interest in art.