Schema, what if there’s is behind?

[Itchyknees]

So, my child’s teacher introduced me to the concept of schema when he was in reception. He’s year 2 now and his drawings are still very very simplistic, no feet, no necks, sticks for hands etc. He has been diagnosed with dyslexia but does the schema thing indicate something additional? Please help!

Anyone?

I’m not entirely sure what you mean. A schema just describes a type of learning pattern a child is displaying. There are different types and found in most children NT and SEN.

Do you draw with your son? Could you draw together? Show him how you draw a person. Or ask him to describe features of his body and label a drawing with the same features on?

I wouldn't give schema stuff a second thought. Load of nonsense.

Schemas are just a way to describe urges that most people have, throwing, hiding, enclosing, etc ...they are a useful thing to keep in mind, when you observe a behaviour (like a child in a throwing everything phase), but I didn't think they were particularly indicative of any additional needs

Georgie yes, we try and do a lot of creative stuff at home. I’ll find a couple of his people drawings and post them.

Don’t worry, maybe he’s just not very good or very interested in drawing?

These are football players celebrating a goal. The last one is Ronaldo. Obviously!

He doesn’t mind drawing and interestingly has no idea that his drawings are anything other than absolutely accurate.

He is seven and a half.

I think people have been pushed away from your concerns by the word schema, but I think your real question is if a child is late in acquiring a stage of cognitive development that is normally developed before 7, does that indicate anything?

I'm afraid I don't know that question, I wouldn't be too hung up about the person drawing, it's popular because it was heavily promoted in the news after a paper ( www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4232264/ ), but as your child is just drawing as opposed to doing a draw the child test (with the encouragement to draw every thing that makes them.)

It might be interesting to see if your child has a theory of mind of other things which are in the normal range, e.g. www.cog.brown.edu/courses/cg63/conservation.html now of course this is all psychology and not really interesting other than actually interesting experiments to do with a kid anyway if they're that way inclined, and I certainly don't know if late acquisition of things does indicate anything other than the sort of things they enjoy.

Certainly there is a correlation between early attainment and achievement at that age, but then of course so many of the tests that you achieve on are much, much easier if you have the theories already.

Like Georgie said a schema is simply a learning pattern that a child is displaying at that time. I work in a preschool. X is doing a lot of throwing at the moment, rather than distracting and constantly saying "keep it down", "we don't throw" etc I plan activities like ball play,, bean bags aimed into buckets, skittles etc. Because that's what he's exploring right now. It's not a sign of additional needs, NT children and those with SN display them...It's fine.

If it helps I am 40, of reasonable intelligence and successful in my field...My drawing is possibly not as accurate as your son's...he has the pieces in the right places...that's a great result as far as I am concerned!

Thankyou SirFred, that’s v v helpful. He’s had an ed psych visit him who said that his short term numbers-forward and numbers-backward was on the first centile.

I’ll do those exercises with him, I suspect he will be fine, if I can get him to focus, which is the other issue.

Thanks Colours! Hopefully your Ronaldo is a bit more handsome!

Sadly Itchy, I doubt that..ive had four year olds give me sympathetic looks after they ask me to "draw mummy!"