This isn't an average 8 year olds drawing is it??

[delilabell]

I'm bad at art always have been. But we are worried about dds development in several ways including fine motor skills.
Shes proudly just created this and I'm so chuffed for her but it's not average is it?

The more I look at it , the more I like it! And the writing of "daddy" is awesome. If one of my kids ( some adult ) could write like that I'd be thrilled.

Apart from anything else, is she a fan of Charlie and Lola or similar?

Kids don't really learn to draw people, usually. They learn to draw stylised representations of people. The hands and shoulders and faces point toward someone copying a cartoon style, possibly.

I have dyspraxia and struggle with drawing, and riding a bike. I like to think I'm good at singing but probably not 😂

My 7 year old is a better than average artist and draws more complex pictures than that (as does my 5 year old). But your daughter’s handwriting is better than both of theirs.

How much is she exposed to drawing and art? If she doesn’t lots of her spare time doing it then it’s not strange that her pictures look like that.

Numberblocks have times table songs - they are visual too so show the concept.

I really recommend this book:
Drawing with Children By Mona Brookes | Used & New | 9780874778274 | World of Books (wob.com)
and short YouTube videos on how to draw simple things (dragons are a great starting point as it doesn't matter if you get the proportions wrong).
I think we get mixed up between developmental drawing, which happens fairly naturally (i.e. moving from potato people to having a separate head, body and limbs) and actual drawing, which is a taught/learned skill like any other (and one that we don't teach very well if at all in schools).
My son's drawing was at that level at age 11. He got interested in drawing through YouTube and is now an incredibly talented artist (aged 18). Definitely something that can be learned!

Well, I'm 57 and couldn't draw anything much better, either back in the day or now 😊

I had no developmental issues, am academic, hold down a professional job. I operate within defined parameters and am in the best of health. I'm just shit at art and all things 'crafty' 😊 Just like your DD, I have nice, neat handwriting 😊

Anecdotal, I know but, without any other signs, I wouldn't be too worried 🥰

The drawing looks like my ds at that age, the writing far better. The spelling and times tables sound very like both my kids who have processing issues and dyslexia. Both now young adults and doing fine. Son about to graduate and dd doing a levels. I'd push school for assessment or if u can afford it get a private dyslexia assessment through British dyslexia

I couldn’t do any better and I am 34

Ps I could just never draw and I had teachers and others laugh at my work . Everything else was fine apart from my drawing . I was in top sets too .

No. It’s not. That’s more like age 5/6 level.

i hate to ask but how much time does she spend doing art work, drawing and colouring etc? These skills are being lost and it is often because they aren’t practicing.

Typical 8 year olds would not be drawing to this standard, sorry OP.

I'm 40 and my writing isn't as neat as that. Also, I can't draw for shit. She's better than me :)

😂 great typo

My son’s handwriting looks like your daughter’s OP, problem is he’s 30! I suspected dyspraxia but it turns out he’s hypermobile and can’t grip a pen properly, he wasn’t diagnosed until he was 18. Check to see if she’s holding crayons etc properly or if her fingers bend at a strange angle when she does, but if her teacher isn’t concerned then perhaps it’s just that she’s not very good at drawing.

I wouldn’t worry too much OP. Is it a particular disability you worry about or just that she might be academically challenged? At the beginning of school there is a lot of emphasis on handwriting and drawing and basic academic skills like remembering times tables. The ones who are good at these skills are not necessarily the ones who steam ahead when it gets to quadratic equations and analytical skills. I’m always surprised how much weight even teachers put on these early skills but then I guess the ones doing it work with that age group and maybe never see where things end up.

I’ve known plenty of preschoolers who “ love numbers” and can shout out things like 152 while others are still learning to recognise numbers 1-20. One is now struggling with gcse maths because in fact number ( symbol) recognition doesn’t actually translate to mathematical ability. The only early skill I personally think has been indicative of ultimate potential has been reading. How is her reading? I don’t think the drawing looks too backward.

My 8yo DC (male) is terrible at drawing - probably worse than the example from your DD. Similarly neat handwriting though. Top of the class for everything else - excellent reader and above average in all areas (except art!). Can't get the concept of swinging a swing, riding a bike and despite several years of swimming lessons, can just about not drown, but his technique is terrible. There's absolutely nothing to suggest he is ND and I think it's dangerous for so many posters to jump to those conclusions. Children have different talents and learn skills at different rates and that's absolutely normal and fine. No need to armchair diagnose at all!

Have the school\you tried different types of pencil eg ,thick ,thin or a pencil gripper ( come in various shapes) . These minor adjustments can help massively. Her writing does look very legible and maybe art just not her forte.

I would be thinking dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism screening. We've been there with a very bright child who was this age - there's hope but you need to know what you're dealing with.

In my family as my parents were both artists in spare time, DB was also good and I was expected to be too. Looking back at that age and younger I wasn’t bad at all (better than this picture!).

But writing and reading was always more my forte.

Your DD’s writing is very good OP.

Plus there’s cuts to art and drama lessons.

The writing looks excellent but honestly I didn't realise kids were expected to be budding Picassos at 8 years old. Is this a new thing?

Me too - never could draw for toffee. Really used to envy the girls who were drawing ponies - that looked like ponies - all over their rough books.
Senior school art teacher used to write one word on my report - ‘Weak’. Thank goodness I could give it up once we had to make O level choices. (Ages ago obv.)
I was good at other things though.

😂 great typo
Do you mean swinging? I don’t think that’s a typo. As in, using a swing?
I don’t think the drawing is awful. I wouldn’t be worrying off the back of that. Am I missing something on the handwriting though? It looks perfectly good, but it’s one word!

This is how my 5 year old draws, however, the writing is much neater than his