SYMBOLIC (usually pre-school or before and into primary level.)

 Here the desire for more meaning-
 ful shapes takes place, and there is
 an attempt to portray ideas. Ob-
 jects become more and more recog-
 Snizable, though there is a great
 deal of distortion. Sometimes the
 feet grow from the head with no
 body present in the work of very
 1 young children, often parts are
 omitted when not important to
 the idea being conveyed, as the
 drawing of a child or dog might
 have eyes but no ears when he is
 looking but not listening. Parts
 important to the child are large
 in size. Parts are arranged with
 little regard for logic. The sun may
 appear at the bottom of a painting
 and a child at the top. Do not
force the child at this time to make the drawing look more "real."
What he does should be encouraged and appreciated. Never make a
child feel that he cannot "draw." A dislike and fear for art will be
planted which may never be overcome.

SEMI-REALISTIC (usually primary and intermediate level.)

 The child at this level is beginning to be concerned with making
things appear natural, but as long as the subject is recognizable he
is usually satisfied. At this stage there is more awareness of environ-
mental relationships. His ideas begin to be arranged according to a
scheme. He often starts organizing his ideas on a baseline. The teacher
should keep in mind during this stage that many ideas to express is
more important than how natural the subject matter appears.