Reading Response #2

The article we were given to read was about how children grow in art and how their art
changes through the years. It also talks about the stages of graphic representation as well as
the stages they go through as they get older. This article was interesting to read because it gave
me more knowledge about how childrens knowledge grows in all ways.
In the stages of graphic representation the article had mentioned how educators are
concerned that schools arent as concerned as they should be when it comes to the
development of childrens mental characteristics. Throughout the article it points out how
children express themselves through their artwork no matter what the age. I do agree that
education today doesnt see the need to let the children express themselves through the arts so
they can grow in every spectrum of their learning. Childrens capacities to understand art is
connected to changes in the cognitive, emotional, social and physical parts of their lives.
Without a way to express how they feel about all the parts of their lives are making them keep
all their feelings bottled in so they then act out.
The stages children go through with art as they get older explain why their pictures may
become more defined and clearer. There are three stages that children go through first is the
manipulative stage, ages 2 through 5. The second stage is the symbol making stage, ages 6
through 9. And the last stage is the preadolescent stage, ages 10 through 13.These stages are
where childrens art goes from scribbles to pictures that are relatable.
I enjoyed reading the article to find more information about how children grow in their
artwork. I do agree that through their art they express how they feel and what they are going
through. I believe that art is an important part of every childs life and they need it.