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Relationship between drawing and writing skills in preliterate children

Conference Paper · August 2015

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Eleonora Esposito
University of Florence
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 Pre-conference of the Junior Researchers of EARLI
Cyprus University of Technology
Limassol, 23-24 August 2015

Relationship between drawing and writing

skills in preliterate children
ESPOSITO ELEONORA: eleonora.esposito@unifi.it
Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence

Introduction
1. Learn to master the symbols, drawing, letters and numbers, it
becomes one of the most important milestones to be achieved
because leaving a mark on a sheet is not a simple act indiscriminately (I) To investigate the emerge and how
but subtends a certain intent in order to communicate with the develop drawing and writing in preschool
external environment (Kendrick & McKay, 2004; Myers & Liben, 2008). children.
2. Recent literature has sought to investigate the relationship
between drawing and writing, but the results are disharmonious: are Aims (II) To analyze the relationship between
drawing and writing.
drawing and writing related (Ferreiro, 1986; Tolchisky-Landsmann &
(III) To investigate how drawing and writing
Karmiloff-Smith, 1992; Levin & Bus, 2003; Yamagata, 2007)? or are
are influenced by the development of the
they independent (Gom ber & Fayol, 1992)? visuo-motor coordination.
3. Recent researches in Neuropsychology shown the relationship
between drawing and writing with the development of visuo-motor
coordination (Anderson et al. ,1999; Kulp, 1999; Mazzola et al., 2003).

Method TASKS
VISUO-MOTOR Scheme 1: Graphic
Scoring of Writing
(Levin & Bus, 2003)

DRAWING WRITING
Participants: 115 preschool children attending a kindergarten INTEGRATION • A scribble produced by scratching 0
(Levin & Bus, 2003) (Levin & Bus, 2003) • A single good form (a square, a circle-like form, a triangle-like form).
in central Italy subdivided in three class of age: (Berry & Buktenica, 1997)
It looks as if it was produced not just by scratching but in a more controlled way. The figure covers most of the page. 1

3 years (36-47 months) 30  Free Drawing  Name,s Writing Test of Visual- Motor • A small good form (as above, but the form covers a limited part of
the page. It is in the range of the size of a written letter produced by 2
M (SD) = 41.3 (3.44) (M=16; F=14)  Drawing of eight  Writing of eight Integration (VMI) preschoolers).

4 years (48-59 months) 40 referents: grass, sun, referents: grass, sun, Scheme 2: Writing-like writing
M (SD) = 53.4 (3.50) (M=19; F=21)
mother, child, father, mother, child, father, 3
• Linearity: an approximation of a horizontal or vertical line(s). The forms
flower, three flowers, bird. flower, three flowers, bird. are not distributed over the page in a random way.
5 years (60-71 months) 45 4
M (SD) = 65.8 (3.48) (M=20; F=25)
 Numbers’ Writing • Segmentation into units: the writing is composed of separate units (small plain, circles, dots). A cursive line going
repetitively up and down is considered segmented.
(Yamagata, 2007) • Complexity of form: the units are not very simple forms.
N=115 • Minimal number and above: the number of the separated units is three or more
5
6
• Variety: the units are varied at least somewhat from each other in form

Results 
• Inteded variety: the variety between the signs looks as if it is
7
Data analyses: One-way ANOVA, Post hoc (Bonferroni) and intended by the child
8
Bivariate correlational analyses Scheme 3: Symbolic
9
• Conventional symbol: the writing includes at least one real letter or number. A vertical line that may stand for I.
I°DEVELOPMENT PATTERN II°RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN Likewise, a dot or a circle per se is not considered.
• Phonetic representation: the writing contains at least a single letter that is phonetically related to the word that
10
There is a development in all the skills considered at three, four and SYSTEMS the child was asked to write.
• More than one phonetic letter, but not a repetition of the same letter.
five years old. Drawing and Writing: •Invented spelling: two or more phonetic letters that represent most of the word’s phonemes, so that the word is
11
12
readable.
Significant relationship at all ages •Conventional spelling of the word that the child was asked to write
13

Drawing Writing
- 3 years: r = .50
12
10 14
12
- 4 years: r = .55 Scoring of numbers’ writing:
8 10 (Yamagata, 2007)
6
4
8
6
- 5 years: r = .45 Scribble 1
4
2
0
3 years
4 years
2
0
3 Years VMI and Drawing: Marks or form like scrolled circles or circle-like form 2
4 Years
5 years 5 Years Significant relationship at 3 and 5 ages Linearity: line drawing produced by horizontal, vertical or curved line 3
Segmentation into units: it is composed of such separate units as small circles (no linearity)
(r = .47 – r = .56)
4

[F(2,12)= 63.30;p<.001] Linearity and segmentation into units: linear line going up and
5
[F(2,12)=120.82;p<.001]
VMI and Writing: down repetitively
Units: simple units repeated 6
VMI
Significant relationship at 4 and 5 ages Verticality 7
20
3 Years
(r =.34 – r =.40) Conventional number writing 8
15
3 Years 3 Years
10
4 Years Scoring of Drawing
5 (Harris, 1963; Levin & Bus, 2003)
5 Years 4 Years
0
4 Years Completeness of elements
VMI
[F(2,12)=113.05;p<.001] Scores:
• GRASS: 0-7

Discussion
5 Years
• SUN: 0-5
5 Years • FLOWER: 0-8
• THREE FLOWERS: 0 -10
• MOTHER: 0-14
• CHILD: 0- 12
DEVELOPMENT PATTERN There is a significant development from 3 to 5 years old for all the abilities considered, this result show us the importance of this • FATHER: 0-13
ages to improve drawing and writing • BIRD: 0-10

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SYSTEMS:  There is a significant relationship between drawing and writing, this result shows us how this abilities are related, also
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the relationship between the two skills and the visuo-motor coordination shows us the importance of this skills for the development of drawing and writing.