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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

4 yr old who can't draw? Is this unusual?

28 replies

florenceuk · 08/01/2006 22:16

DS is 4 and can't draw at all. Not even a smiley face - he can do a circle with a few dots in it but that's all. Mostly he does scrawls. Today we met a boy in the Tate who was five and was drawing a crocodile in a pond with a snake! And his friends all seem to be able to draw something. Ds can't write either - wondering if it is all related in terms of recognition of shapes etc. Any views?

OP posts:

northerner · 08/01/2006 22:19

I think this is usual tbh. My ds is 4 in April and he can't even hold a pen correctly, like your ds he can draw a 'sort of' circle but nothing recognisable. Far too busy doing other things to sit down for a minute

How is your ds with other stuff?

Alipiggie · 08/01/2006 22:30

Don't worry my Ds has also just turned 4 and although he can "write" as he calls it nothing legible. Drawing is scribbles and circles although it's starting to get more recognisable but his new Montessori school is helping that as they are starting him on letter recognition and writing. Every child is different. I think i'd be more worried if he showed no interest in scribbling!!! The new Crayola magic pens (if they're available in uk) may help as the pattern colours appear so you could draw a smiley face and watch the magic work. My two ds's love that

DustAnyone · 08/01/2006 22:36

I wouldn't worry

My ds has never had any interest in drawing. His teacher says he even hates being asked to do it at school.

He is now 5 1/2 and can just about draw himself ie circle for head, cicle for body and sticks for arms and legs!

He was also slow to start writing legibly (sp) but seems to be picking it up slowly.

Maddison · 08/01/2006 22:43

My DS1 will be 5 in 2 weeks and can't, or more likely won't draw. It's only since he started school last September that he has started to write. He has absolutely no interest in colouring or painting, nor did he seem to do much at nursery either (every day all the mums got pictures but not me) but he is doing really well at school, does as he is told and is making excellent progress. Since he is doing well at school, I tend not to push him to do these things at home.

Has he started school yet? If so have a word with his teacher and see how he is progressing. If he's at nursery speak to his nursery teacher and find out if he is doing much in the way of drawing etc. If not explain your concerns and ask if they could try and encourage him to do these things.

We also put every picture DS1 has done on the wall - we call it 'Dylans Art Gallery' This was to try and encourage him to do more without pushing him and also to show him how proud we are of his 'work'.

HTH If I think of anything else I'll post

Skribble · 08/01/2006 23:00

As a nursery nurse I have seen all sorts of abilities, some do it step by step and some do non-descript scribbles then suddenly start drawing recognisable things. Kids logic is strange to us when it comes to drawing, when drawing figures often they only draw the limbs in use at the time.

If your son is 4 and the boy was 5 there then could be 2 to 24 mths difference between them anyway. Joining up circles is quite a skill and squares and triagles even more so. If you are worried give him plenty chance to develop his skills and provide blank paper not just colouring in books. A limited supply of paper and being told not to waste it when all they want to do is a little squiggle can inhibit too.

TinyGang · 08/01/2006 23:11

My ds is 4 and isn't into drawing or anything much to do with writing or scribbling.

Both dd's are though and have a veritable Andy Warhol art factory going between them. He does a bit of token colouring for a few seconds just to join in, but is busy busy busy doing so many other things and lots of 'lets pretend' games with his dinosaurs. It's not everyones cup of tea I guess so I don't compare him to them at all.

Great idea though to go to the Tate though - I must try that with mine (it's certainly one of my favourite places).

Skribble · 08/01/2006 23:16

My 2 love Glasgows Gallery of modern Art. Last time they got work sheets from the kids table and the curator was happy to get them clip boards so they could go round and draw bits of the pics on their sheets.

Its great to see them sprawled out on the floor with there pencils. While snotty people trying to look intellectual step over them. Note I do not let them run wild and they have a lot of respect for the gallery and the art work.

singersgirl · 08/01/2006 23:35

DS2 is 4 and also can't draw very well. He's shown no interest in even scribbling until a few weeks ago - I put this down to starting school in September. He has now started showing some interest in drawing/writing, but it's very far behind many other children. On the positive side, though, he's good at reading and generally seems quite bright, so I think it's not necessarily particularly significant.

DS1 (now 7) also didn't draw at all until starting school, but his writing finally in Y3 is starting to be more legible and less 'runic'.

From my experience, I wouldn't worry too much. You might find that using white boards with markers, chalk boards or pavement chalk seem more exciting to him - DS2 is a bit more interested when I get chalk out.

Clary · 09/01/2006 00:03

Yes Singergirl is right.
Children love whiteboards and blackboards with chalk. It's becauase if it's wrong they can rub it out.
florence how is yr DS at other things? Is it just that he isn't interested in sitting and working (too busy running about etc?)
When was he 4? ie is he at school? If he has another year at pre-school I woulnd't worry at all, it may suddenly come together.

gingernut · 09/01/2006 00:06

I'm another person with a 4 yo ds who can't/won't draw or write. In fact, he hates holding a pencil at all. I think he just isn't interested TBH. Much prefers `let's pretend' games, playing with cars and running around. I don't think it's out of the ordinary.

Original poster

florenceuk · 09/01/2006 09:45

Sounds like a bit of a boy thing maybe? DS is not very advanced in any way - only just beginning to grasp concept of letters and can count to 10 reliably and not much more. So no signs that he is making up for it in other areas... While he is not that patient, will sit and do "work" as he calls it at nursery. He does like "drawing", just not very good at it - the abstractness of it perhaps? I just wondered if it was connected to any other learning skills. He is a bit clumsy, still makes a mess when eating, falls over when running, so maybe this is part of the package.

OP posts:

grumpyfrumpy · 09/01/2006 09:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Dinosaur · 09/01/2006 09:57

My DS2 is four and he can't draw at all.

ScummyMummy · 09/01/2006 10:03

One of my sons was slow to take an interest in drawing and has a bizarre pen grip at 6. He finds the act of writing and drawing quite difficult I think but has discovered comics and thus now wants to draw and write. His comic strips are really inventive, if a bit messy. I really think this is something that comes with age and increased motivation for some children.

singersgirl · 09/01/2006 10:46

Florence, my older son in particular is still rather like your DS - still (at 7) a messy eater and fairly clumsy. He was slow to develop things like scissor skills, as well as writing.
Fine motor skills are just not his strength, though he does enjoy Lego and other construction toys, and, like ScummyMummy's DS, writes loads of comics etc now. I think it is more a boy thing and particularly at 4 there are lots of things many boys enjoy more.

Does your DS like things like Lego, Geomag or Play-Doh? DS2 can spend ages squeezing Play-Doh, which is good for strengthening hand muscles.

Also Play-Doh is a good thing to practise scissors on, as it offers little resistance. We had one of those hairdresser Play-Doh sets where the boys could snip off the Play-Doh hair and they both enjoyed them.

Dottydot · 09/01/2006 11:28

My ds1 is 4 and can't draw at all - he can just about do a circle (kind of), and is getting better at doing an A (first letter of his name!), but doesn't like drawing and has no interest in it. He's also (I think) slower than I thought he'd be at recognising letters, but his pre-school teacher thinks I'm bonkers to be concerned and says he's "mark making" which is what he should be doing at this age, and not to worry!

geogteach · 09/01/2006 11:56

DS1 (4 last April) started school last September unable to draw and is now amazingly competant (better than mummy ), I think its something that comes and my experience is that girls get it quicker

PeachyClair · 09/01/2006 12:07

My ds2 and ds1 were both like this at 4, ds2 is 5 in a few weeks and his drawing is progressing rapidly; ds1 is so good he now has weekly art lessons. Their old Montessori teacher said you just have to wait for that part of the brain to click in, often later in boys, but it will eventually.

cori · 09/01/2006 12:53

I am so glad to read all these messages very reassuring. DS will be four in one month and today he drew his first ever face on a eraser board thing.

Furball · 09/01/2006 14:04

My DS is 4 1/2 and started reception in September. He can write letters and can draw a face but has no other interest in drawing or colouring. He came home one day last week with a piece of paper with a black scribbled circle done round and round about 10-20 times, when I asked him what it was he said it was a spider in it's web - and yes it did look abit like that.

He was only 4 in August and so is one of the youngest. However when I thought about it, I'm not into drawing too and can't really draw so maybe it's just not his thing.

JennyLee · 02/02/2006 14:27

Don't worry you can try and interest him in it and give him plasticine to make things and lego to help with his hand coordination but my son was the same, and hated drawing at that age but now in P2 at school he can now draw fine as they do it at school, and get they help too.

singersgirl · 02/02/2006 14:41

DS2 is now drawing all the time - not very good and very repetitive pictures of Batman and Robin, but sometimes it just happens.

nikkie · 02/02/2006 19:30

My dd2 is like this .She is very physical good at climbing, riding bikes,things like that but cannot hold a pen right, can sort of write her name, canot colour in lines and draws faces that are circles with dots in.

Furball · 02/02/2006 19:56

After writing my other post further down, the other day I said to DS that we should have a drawing competition. So I said lets draw a house. He said no, I don't want to. It turned out he didn't know how. So I showed him how to draw the square and a triangle for the roof etc etc. and now he draws houses with gardens at the front with a pond and all sorts. It suddenly dawned on me that maybe he didn't know how to go about starting a drawing.

cjjs · 04/02/2021 15:07

My 4 years old doesn't write or draw anything. His teacher keeps on complaining but he is extremely intelligent with Math and other things in speaking only. She keeps on asking me to see a doctor. I did take him to the doctor then we went for different tests except for the child psychiatrist. I am on the waiting list. During Pandemic time it's hard for me to keep him for the online classes. The teacher thinks my son is special needs one. I am so lost. Don't know what to do?

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