A STUDY ON THE ROLE OF SCRIBBLING IN CHILD GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT IN THOGOTO AREA.
FRANK KIONGA MOGENI.
BTTI/S2022/DICT/471.
A research proposal submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for
the award of a Degree of Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)
Department of Educational Communication and Technology.
University of Nairobi
2022
Declaration.
I hereby declare that the research proposal entitled is an outcome of my own efforts submitted to
the University of Nairobi for partial fulfillment of the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood
Education). It has not been previously submitted to any other university.
STUDENT NAME: VIONA MORAA OBURU.
REG NO: E45/4008/2018.
SIGNATURE:
DATE:
SUPERVISOR’S NAME:
SIGNATURE:
DATE:
i
ii
Contents
Declaration...................................................................................................................................... i
CHAPTER ONE. .......................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Background of the study. .................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Statement of the problem ................................................................................................... 5
1.3 Purpose of the study ............................................................................................................ 6
1.4 Objectives of the study. ....................................................................................................... 6
1.5 Research questions. ............................................................................................................. 6
1.6 Significance of the study. .................................................................................................... 6
1.7 Scope of the study. ............................................................................................................... 7
1.8 Limitation of the study........................................................................................................ 7
1.9 Delimitation of the study. ................................................................................................... 7
1.10 Basic assumptions.............................................................................................................. 7
1.11Operational definition terms. ............................................................................................ 7
1.12 Organization of the study. ................................................................................................ 8
CHATER TWO........................................................................................................................... 10
2.1 Review of related literature. ............................................................................................. 10
2.2 Theoretical literature review ............................................................................................ 13
2.3 Conceptual framework. .................................................................................................... 14
CHAPTER THREE. ................................................................................................................... 15
3.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. ................................................................................... 15
3.2 Research design. ................................................................................................................ 15
3.3 Study location. ................................................................................................................... 15
3.4 Target population .............................................................................................................. 15
3.5 Sample and sampling procedure. ..................................................................................... 16
1
3.6 Data collection instruments. ............................................................................................. 16
3.7 Validity and reliability of research instruments............................................................. 16
3.8 Procedure of data collection ............................................................................................. 16
3.9 Data analysis. ..................................................................................................................... 17
3.10 Ethical considerations. .................................................................................................... 17
CHAPTER FOUR. ...................................................................................................................... 19
DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS. ................................................................................... 19
4.1 Introduction. .................................................................................................................. 19
4.2 Questionnaire return rate. ............................................................................................ 19
4.3 Interview for preschoolers. ........................................................................................... 21
4.4 Observation checklist. ................................................................................................... 22
4.5 Assumptions made. ........................................................................................................ 22
4.6 Photos of scribble work collected. ................................................................................ 23
CHAPTER FIVE. ....................................................................................................................... 26
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................... 26
5.1 SUMMARY OF THE STUDY. .................................................................................... 26
5.2 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 26
5.3 RECCOMENDATIONS OF THE STUDY................................................................. 27
APPENDIX I. .............................................................................................................................. 28
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS. ................................................................................... 28
APPENDIX II. ............................................................................................................................. 30
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR PARENTS. ...................................................................................... 30
APPENDIX III. ........................................................................................................................... 31
Interview for preschoolers. ........................................................................................................ 31
APPENDIX IV. ........................................................................................................................... 32
2
OBSERVATION CHECKLIST. ............................................................................................... 32
References. ................................................................................................................................... 33
CHAPTER ONE.
1.1 Background of the study.
Scribbling can be defined as the action of writing something carelessly which can be eligible
3
which people doesn’t take into much concern. A scribble can be defined as a drawing composed
of abstract lines which are random normally without lifting the drawing device off the paper or
the surface you are scribbling on. Scribbling can also be called penning, scratching or authoring.
Scribbling in early years’ education it’s a very vital developmental stage and this is usually
among the first steps a child should undergo in learning most skills that are required. Scribbling
being considered as a stage of drawing has been historically regarded as meaningless and
transitional, a sort of prelude to the “actual” drawing phase of childhood, recent studies have
begun to re-evaluate this important moment of a child's development and find meaning in what
was once considered mere motor activity and nothing more. The present study analyzes
scribbling in all its sub phases and discovers a clear intention behind young children's gestures.
From expressing the dynamic qualities of an object and the child's relationship with it, to
gradually reducing itself to a simple contour of a content no more “alive” on the paper, but only
in the child's own imagination, we trace the evolution of the line as a tool that toddlers use to
communicate feelings and intentions to the world that surrounds them. scribbling evolves
through a series of stages, and that early graphical activity in children is sparked and maintained
by their relationship with their caregivers and the desire to communicate with them. Scribbling is
the first stage occurs when the child manipulates a drawing tool and makes random marks, dots,
and lines on the drawing surface. The child will scribble and manipulate the drawing tool with
little or no concern for the appearance of the marks. generally, a child in the scribbling stage 2 4 year, is not drawing symbols for objects. Children like to scribble because it gives them a
chance to move their arms around freely. The act of scribbling is purely kinesthetic and
imaginative. Don’t color books, they can actually inhibit children’s creativity. The child gains
satisfaction for here there is active involvement in self-expression outside of crying. The child is
experiencing pure pleasure from the disorganized marks. The range and variety of scribbles is
very great and relates to the child's own development and experiences in the immediate
environment. Disordered Scribbling During this stage the marks on the paper can go in many
directions. Where the child is drawing (on a table or floor) and the scribbling material will
influence the direction. The size of the scribbles shown on the paper is proportional to the size of
the child. At some point the child will discover that there is some relation to his motions and the
marks on the paper. This may occur six months or so after the child starts scribbling. Enjoyment
of this activity encourages the child to repeat and vary his motions. This helps in the
4
development of motor coordination and feelings of mastering a new task. Naming the Scribbles,
a parent may not recognize scribbles as anything, but by around the age of 3 1/2 to 4 the child
begins naming scribbles. He has begun thinking in terms of pictures. Before this stage he was
satisfied with the motions themselves, the activity was purely kinesthetic. Usually in the first
stages of scribbling no special motivation is needed except to provide the child with the proper
materials and the encouragement to go ahead with the activity. The child's own experiences are
fertile topics that can motivate and excite them in art activities. Class activities, stories from
books and experiences. should be discussed before an art lesson to help the child to draw from
his own vision, and thus enjoy and learn during the art lesson. Art Materials are the best
materials for this stage are simple and easy to manipulate like the black crayons or markers, 11
"x 18" (or smaller) white paper, white chalk on black paper or a chalkboard
1.2 Statement of the problem.
This study will investigate the role of scribbling in child growth and development. There is need
to take scribbling as a crucial developmental stage in early years since it helps in development
and building skills that are required in the entire growth of the child. Children who are given
chances to explore this stage develop better as compared to those who are denied. Some take
scribbling as dirty work and waste of time and resources but it really plays a vital role in
cognitive development since there are some children who scribble to pass some information.
Since scribbles are random and it’s a way in which children explore art materials in a playful it
should be made clear to parents mostly that they should allow their children do that freely and
even help them. They should understand that scribbling is always associated with young children
because of their lack of eye-hand coordination and lower mental development. Some of adults
also scribble out of boredom, jovial, as a form of abstract art or to see if a writing material works.
Scribbles are kind of web graphics that are associated with pixels and cute websites. They are
entirely different from pixeling, as instead of carefully drawing the graphics, the picture is made
by drawing quickly around the outline of object severally. The result is a very loosely drawn
sketchy work. In software the word scribble is used to mean a quickly drawn representation of a
computer program or website layout. The study will therefore get to find out the role of this
scribbling in child growth and development in Thogoto.
5
1.3 Purpose of the study
This study will establish the role of scribbling in child growth and development in Thogoto area.
1.4 Objectives of the study.
This study will be guided by the following objectives;
i.
To find out reasons which make pre-school learners scribble.
ii.
To examine what pre-school learners scribble.
iii.
To investigate how scribbling has been encouraged in early years.
1.5 Research questions.
i.
Why do children scribble?
ii.
What do scribbles represent?
iii.
How do I encourage scribbling in early years’ education?
1.6 Significance of the study.
Children mostly start to scribble at 15months to 18months, this scribbling stage is the beginning
of self-expression since they have spent a lot of time absorbing their surroundings. The art of
scribbling becomes their first form of communication with the complex world around them. At
this age a child use tools to make marks without awareness. After the child is familiar with these
tools, they can produce bang dots and marks by hitting tools on a surface and this is where they
make a connection between the symbol and tool. Scribbles can be manipulated, uncontrolled,
controlled and planned according to the stage and mind of the child.
Scribbling can help the imagination and cognitive development. Children express their complex
thoughts and abstract ideas through scribbling. It promotes sensory enjoyment, physical
movement and play. It also promotes emotional release since some children scribbles presents
anger and some happiness. For example, a child can make a disorganize and messy scribble
when he or she is sad and an organized scribble when the child is happy. It supports muscle
development like strengthening the fine motor and also eye hand coordination that will help the
child develop good reading and writing skills. Children need to be praised and motivated when
they scribble by asking them about their scribbles and actively participating in the scribbling
activity by providing them with materials, displaying and allowing it to be a time of good
scribbles. You can encourage scribbling by providing the materials that they can easily access
6
whenever they want to, show that you enjoy scribbling too but avoid telling children what they
should scribble, show interest by commenting on the scribbles and the colors they have used and
ask them about what they want to do next to add more details and make them think more, display
their scribbles at a height that they can see so that they can feel appreciated and avoid comparing
their work or making negative comments.
1.7 Scope of the study.
This study aims at investigating the role of scribbling on child growth and development in
Thogoto area. It will be based on scribbling as an important developmental stage in early years
before joining preschool and during the two years in preschool.
1.8 Limitation of the study.
Since children in this stage are young the researcher can find challenges in getting some
information from them as some may refuse to scribble which is a practical thing. The teachers
can also challenge as scribbling is not the only developmental stage and they may feel it’s a
waste of time. Some parents may not allow their children scribble since they see it as dirty work
not understanding how crucial this stage is and they may not be comfortable on taking a copy of
their children work.
1.9 Delimitation of the study.
For instance, this study will involve learners from few preschools in Thogoto area, any child
around Thogoto are who can scribble. The study generally focuses on children between the age
of 15months to 5 years in Thogoto area only and not any other part of the country.
1.10 Basic assumptions.
This study assumes that for every child to develop normally and acquire the required skills in
early years they should undergo the scribbling stage. It also assumes that all work that will be
used and corrected from the few preschools will of the learners under the age bracket. it also
assumes that the school administration will cooperate during the visitations to correct
information and also parents of the children who will be involved.
1.11Operational definition terms.
Anonymity- hiding the identity of the respondents who will provide information.
7
Child- a young human being between the age of 15 months to five years who can scribble.
Development- the sequence of physical language, thought and emotional changes that occur in a
child.
Developmental stage- the age in which the child is scribbling.
Drawing- a picture or a diagram made with a pencil, pen or crayon rather than a paint.
Graphics – products of the arts.
Growth- progressive increase in size of a child and the parts of a child.
Pictorial- expression in pictures.
Pre- schooler – a learner in preschool level in Thogoto area.
Pre-school- the early school level attended by young children starting from three years and they
can make scribbles.
Random scribbling- making marks in a disorderly manner.
Scribbles- marks and writings produced carelessly.
Scribbling- the act of making marks on a paper or surface carelessly using materials like pen,
pencil, crayons etc. A very crucial developmental stage.
1.12 Organization of the study.
This study will be conducted in five chapters. Chapter one deals with the general introduction of
the research which includes the background of the study, statement of the problem, purpose of
the study, research objectives, research questions, significance of the study, delimitations of the
study and the organization of the study.
Chapter two deals with the related literature review, the theoretical and conceptual framework.
Chapter three consist of the research methodology which is divided into introduction, research
design, target population, sample and sampling procedure, research instruments, validity and
8
reliability of the instruments, procedure of data collection, data analysis and ethical
considerations.
Chapter four will consist of presentations, interpretation and discussion of findings.
Chapter five will contain summary, conclusions and recommendations.
9
CHATER TWO
2.1 Review of related literature.
Introduction
This chapter explains the rationale of scribbling as a developmental stage in the early years of
child according to various people. This is a very important phase for children starting from 18
months to 5 years. Scribbling is a visual way in which children communicate and interact in a
meaningful way with the adults in their lives. This helps them develop emotionally since some
children may scribble when they are angry or when they are happy since they make scribble that
they can only understand by themselves. If also brings about confidence
It can also help children develop physically since it helps children develop fine motor
skills. These prepares the child to write and draw and other related skills. It develops eye-hand
coordination also needed for writing and also for physical education may be when throwing the
ball and other games. Scribbling generally help develop literacy skills.
Cognitively scribbling natures, the wing of creativity and imagination of the child.
Children can scribble on the walls using different objects for example you can find a random
scribble using a piece of charcoal or even using a stick. They can scribble in the ground
using their fingers and also sticks. They can also scribble on paper using pens, pencils and
crayons.
During the first stage the child can make Unintentional marks where
The child is not aware of the first marks that they are making. If a child is given a paper and a
crayon there is, they will make some marks unknowingly. The second stage random scribbling
which occurs between 15 months to 21/2years. This is the period when young children are just
figuring out that their movements result in the
lines and scribbles, they see on the page.
These scribbles are due to large movements from the shoulder, with the crayon or marker held in
the child’s fist. There is joy in creating art at all ages, but at this stage especially, many children
10
value the feedback they are getting from their senses: the way the crayon feels, the smell of the
paint, the squishy-ness of the clay. For other children, this sensory information may be too much
and they may not enjoy some art activities like finger-painting. controlled scribbling at the age of
2 years to 3 years is the third stage as children develop better control over the muscles in their
hands and fingers, their scribbles begin to change and become more controlled. They may make
repeated marks on the page open circles, diagonal, curved, horizontal, or vertical lines. Also, in
this stage may tend to use different colors, lines stay within drawing area and they come up with
stories that they can understand their meaning. Lastly, they scribble in a controlled way where
the child relates marks to things they know, develop fine motor skills good movement of the
wrist that controls the scribbling material that is held by the fingers at this stage and also more
attention is given to the shapes in their real geometrical form. The child can be able to plan by
choosing the materials like color, media and placement.
Children now understand that writing is made up of lines, curves, and repeated patterns. They try
to imitate this in their own writing. So, while they may not write actual letters, you may see
components of letters in their drawing. These might include lines, dots and curves. This is the
time they realize that their drawing has some meaning. For example, she may write something
down and then tell you what word it says. This is an important step toward reading and writing
The ability to hold an image in one’s mind then represent it on the page is a very important
thinking skill that children are mastering at this age and planning what he will create before
drawing. You will also see more detail in the pictures, more control in the way he handles the
crayon or marker, and more colors. This is very crucial.
Infant scribbling activity does not concern play only. It contributes to the development of visual
attention and perception. Scribbling, unlike writing in the communication sense, is not motivated
by the desire to inform, nor to set down thoughts and feelings. the motivations for scribbling are;
making a mark or trace on the paper, controlling the visually perceived trace, and simply
perceiving the trace, not the motor stimulation involved in the act of scribbling. To test this
hypothesis, 14 infants, 15 to 38 months of write and the other would not. The order of use of the
2 instruments was varied so that some infants scribbled first with the tracing and some infants
first with the non-tracing, instrument. The scribbling activity with both instruments was timed. In
the case of all 14 children, use of the nontracing instrument reduced scribbling time an average
11
of 2/3. In a second, related experiment, 4 3-year-olds were asked to draw in the air. Again, the
hypothesis tested was that reinforcement and motivation for scribbling activity was the trace, and
not the kinesthetic stimuli. None of the children would draw in the air, although they did ask for
paper on which to draw something they could see. (GIBSON, JAMES J.; YONAS, PATRICIA)
As children develop, they acquire new meaningful gestures that help them understand and
interact with the world that surrounds them. Scribbling is one of these gestures. To see these first
traces as a mere consequence of the gesture of drawing or simple hand movements (Dust and
Gorman, 2009) would mean evaluating the graphical products without taking into consideration
the level of development of its author. Historically, authors have judged the graphical activity, in
the form of scribbles of children aged 2 or 3 years old in terms that they are exclusively
kinesthetic or of pure motor pleasure, (Jolley 2009; vinter et Al.,2010). However, giving such an
exclusive interpretation of this phenomenon means not considering the development that
children undergo during their second year of life. The emergence of mental representations and,
thus, the ability to use a signifier to evoke meaning, would not seem to be compatible with an
activity that stimulates the pleasure mere exercise. However, the vast majority of researchers of
child insists that children are doing nothing more than exercising their limbs. From Luquet
(1927), Gardner (1980) and freeman (1980) we see that there is no talk of actual 'drawing' before
ages 4-6. When a formal correspondence between the child's traces and the object to be produced
is recognizable (Malchiodi, 1998; knight, 2008; Lange- kuttner,2011). The hypothesis that the
reason for which children begin to draw in is the first place and desire for graphical
representation or pictorial figuration (Papandreou,2014), does not allow researchers to evaluate
correctly the meaning of scribbles or to reflect on the reasons that make them such a gratifying
activity. The first scribbles appear during the child's second year of life and not to grasp a form
of intentionally in their production is the observer's limitation and not the child's. A child's
gestures at the age of 2, are never mere motor activity; the youngster is able to point, say no with
his or her finger, manipulate many objects, grasp things, push them away, hit them and pummel
them as well (pinto et al., 2011). When the child transfers his or her hand's activities to the line
only then he or she draws. The first drawings never have an intention of representing the formal
aspects of reality by means of graphical schemas, but instead they tell of a world perceived
physiognomic ally by using the line's expressiveness. Starting from. Our theory, the questions
that we asked ourselves were: (a) How does scribbling develop? Does it evolve through different
12
stages, much like drawing does, and can these be classified? (b) What are the various functions
that the line carries out during the development of scribbling? With this study, we intend to
delineate the first phases of children's drawing through different meanings that the line acquires
progressively, from gesture to representation. We have chosen to do so by reporting a number of
suggestive examples that we have drawn from much wider sample derived from our studies
(Longobardi et al.,2012; Quaglia et Al., 2015) on children's graphical and pictorial abilities,
conducted ages 0-3 in various nurseries, located in one of the Western Italy's biggest cities. We
shall present said examples along with the theory as we advance through its various stage.
2.2 Theoretical literature review
Our theory is coherent with Vygotsky's (1978) ideas on learning through imitation, so as children
scribble, they could be imitating adults as they write thus development of writing skills and
Bruner's (1983) social- constructivist perspective. Children aided by adult’s progress inside their
own zone of proximal Development (Vygotsky, 1978) and gradually begin to master abilities
that had not been developed until that moment such as scribbling. The adult's role in this process
is important in such a way that it is only through the meaningful relationship that the child has
established with his or her caregiver that graphical abilities can flourish and develop completely.
Often, we associate scribbling with negative habits: it's out of control, childish, messy, sloppy or
wasteful. But it's also fun. A drawing instructor can tell you that scribbling is one of the best
ways to improve drawing skills.
13
2.3 Conceptual framework.
Role of scribbling in early years.
Physical development.
Fine motor skills.
Muscle development.
Eye-hand coordination.
Emotional development.
Emotional release.
Communication.
Sense of autonomy.
Cognitive development
Creativity.
Imagination.
Writing skills.
Child growth and development.
14
CHAPTER THREE.
3.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.
Introduction.
This chapter covers the research design, study location, target population, sample size and
collection method and data analysis method.
3.2 Research design.
sampling procedure, research instruments, validity and reliability of research instruments, data
This study is a survey in which data will be collected from preschools around Thogoto area and
the residents of that environment. The most applicable research design is qualitative research
design which is concerned with establishing answers to the whys and how’s of the phenomenon
in a question. Due to this data is often subjective as opposed to objective and findings in a
written format. Since it is cross-sectional when survey techniques are used its relatively
inexpensive and use little time to conduct some large amount of data. The responses of the
various individuals that will be involved will be vital in this research design. The main reason for
this research design it’s because its quickly created and administered easily.
3.3 Study location.
This study will be conducted in Thogoto area, kikuyu constituency, Kiambu county. The
researcher chooses this location because there is availability of preschools that are required in the
study, it is easily accessible and won’t use much fare during the study hence can avail herself
anytime and also because there is good infrastructure that is conducive for the study.
3.4 Target population.
The population for this study is to be drawn from three preschools in Thogoto area, pre-primary
1 and pre-primary 2 five children per class with their class teachers. It will also involve three
children outside school who can scribble and their parents. The targeted population is therefore
30 preschoolers, their 6 teachers, 3 children outside preschool and their 3 parents. This totals to
42 individuals involved.
15
3.5 Sample and sampling procedure.
Since the population per class is large and we only need five children per class, we will use
simple random sample to get them. When simple random sample is used each child an equal
probability of being chosen. This number was chosen because it will reflect the limit of my
budget and the time, I have to distribute the scribbling materials and all that is required to the
children. I will prefer to use this method because it reduces biasness in the selection thus
providing the sample that is highly representative of the number of children in the classrooms.
Most importantly it will help me make generalizations that will be considered to have external
validity.
3.6 Data collection instruments.
This is one of the significant process of conducting a study and it will use questionnaires,
observation checklists and interview schedules. The questionnaire will entail both closed and
open-ended questions for parents and teachers. The respondents shall be guided appropriately if
necessary or any complexity in answering though it will be as simple as possible. Face to face
interviews will be carried out on the preschoolers by asking oral questions. The researcher will
use observation schedules to make assumptions on the materials that are used during the
developmental stage and any scribble made. This research instruments will assess, monitor and
record data. (Creswell 2012).
3.7 Validity and reliability of research instruments.
In order to ensure that the instruments that are used are valid data collected must be credible and
trustworthy. The questionnaires must be supervised to be answered by the right people, it must
be kept safe after collection such that it does not get lost. The instruments have been chosen
considering the sample size, feature size and any challenges involved in data collection. They are
deemed to be reliable and valid since they are likely to generate the same results after being
applied repeatedly to the same group of subjects.
3.8 Procedure of data collection.
Data will be collected through observation, interviews and administration of designed
questionnaires.
16
First the questionnaires will be administered to the teachers of the involved preschoolers. The
questionnaires will be used to capture first-hand data mostly on how the parents and teacher
perceive scribbling and their contribution towards it.
The researcher will then hold interview with the preschoolers which will provide flexibility to
the interviewers, better responses rates are there than mailed questions since preschoolers cannot
read and write for the required time and give appropriate information. The researcher will make a
lot of judgements on scribbling doe to the non-verbal behavior of the preschoolers.
Observation schedules will be used to check whether the materials required for the full
development and participation into this developmental stage are available. This will bring
confirmation on the seriousness of this skill in school and at home.
3.9 Data analysis.
After the collection of data by the questionnaires, the researcher reads through them to ascertain
their numbers and to see whether all the items will be responded to a quantitative data will be
analyzed by use of content analysis to classify summarize and tabulate data. Qualitative do not
produce discrete numerical data, it is in form of words rather than numbers and therefore
inferences will be made from the responses given. It will predominantly involve coding or
categorizing of the data which is not synonymous. Data collected through the above stated
methods will be organized and assigned in different categories to make it possible identify
patterns and relationships. The responses given by various respondents will be undertaken, where
the responses will similar objectives will be compared to if they concur and if they do no there
will be record for possible reasons for the observed discrepancies. The most common will
therefore be considered the most prevalent in determining the role of scribbling in child growth
and development in Thogoto area. This discussion will be guided by the specific objectives of
the study.
3.10 Ethical considerations.
The principles that will guide my research design and practices are voluntary participations so
that one cannot change the mind and withdraw from an ongoing study. The anonymity and
confidentiality to protect the privacy of those who will agree to participate in the research.
Informed consent is very crucial so that the people involved have a clear understanding about
scribbling including what the researcher is going to do in the field. None of the participants will
17
be harmed in any way and the participants are allowed to remove their results from the study and
also the researcher has informed consent.
18
CHAPTER FOUR.
DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS.
4.1 Introduction.
This chapter presents data analysis, findings, presentations and interpretations of findings. All
the stated were administered to the selected respondents. The purpose of this study was to find
out the role of scribbling in child growth and development in Thogoto, Kikuyu constituency. The
raw data collected during the research study using questionnaire, interviews and observation
schedules was analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The research was presented inform
of charts and relevant narrative explanations were given. Photos were also attached
4.2 Questionnaire return rate.
The questionnaires were administered to 6 teachers and 3 parents only.
4.2.1 Teachers.
According to the six teachers involved their feedback tells that scribbling is a very crucial stage
in child growth and development which plays major roles in physical, emotional and cognitive
development.
The analysis below represents points given by teachers in the development of a child.
Contribution of scribbling in development.
17%
physical developme
emotional development
50%
cognitive development
33%
Figure 1
19
scribbling is taught practically mostly in early years education. Preschoolers in these teachers’
class scribble often without the teachers consent. They do scribble on the walls of their classes,
books, on the tables and even on the ground when they are playing. A child is not supposed to
skip this developmental stage and its encouraged. The teachers also suggested it mainly help in
language activities and it can be classified as a form of art but not a waste of time and resources
as other people view it.
The researcher also noticed that children scribble under given circumstances as represented
below.
factors that lead to scribbling.
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
availability of scribbling
materials
emotional drive
teachers guidance
Figure 2
4.2.2 Parents.
The three parents involved in this study confirmed that even old people do scribble maybe when
they want to write something. Children are more likely to ask for a book and a pen before they
join preschool approximately at the age of 12 to 15 months and they scribble on it. One of the
20
three parents don’t support scribbling and therefore offer scribbling materials whereas two does.
Children before joining preschools their scribbles are more likely to scribble random and
disorderly. Most children scribble on a normal mood and mostly when they see their elder
siblings trying to do their homework at home or when you are doing something on paper as a
guardian. These children also scribble on walls, floor and tables using different scribbling
materials. They encourage scribbling since it prepares the child for preschool.
4.3 Interview for preschoolers.
According to the interview I did to the preschoolers I noticed that most of them like scribbling
and they do it often. They do scribble anything that comes to their mind when they are playing or
any time, they handle any scribbling material. Apart from books they also scribble on walls and
surfaces. They can scribble pictures they see on the walls, what they imagine and think of when
they are free and very few are driven by emotions to scribble. Most of them chose coloring over
scribbling plainly though coloring is a form of scribbling also.
preschoolers preference between scribbling and
colouring.
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1
2
3
scribbling.
4
5
6
coloring
Figure 3
The analysis above represents preschooler’s preference between scribbling and coloring. Most of
them in the three preschools visited prefer coloring which is a form of scribbling.
21
4.4 Observation checklist.
Scribbling was not included in the class timetable but it was done as part of language activities
under writing skills. The teacher had enough scribbling materials e.g. crayons, pencils, sticks and
markers. The preschoolers scribble works were displayed on the walls and this really motivates
the children. There were scribbles in the walls where children get to interact during their paly
time, on the surfaces and in their books.
I gave the children a paper and a pencil and I did not tell them to write anything and a large
population traced some scribbles on the writing’s material. After the scribbling lessons in the
language activities there was a positive change in handwriting and coordination from left to right
and also downwards. Children in pp1 are more likely to scribble randomly and disorderly but
those in pp2 can scribble controllably
4.5 Assumptions made.
According to the study the researcher also made an assumption that children scribble in age
brackets as represented in the table below.
Age.
Scribbling stage.
15months-2 ½ years
Random scribbling.
2 years -3 years
Controlled scribbling.
2 ½ years – 3 ½ years
Lines and patterns.
3 years – 5 years
Pictures of objects or people
3 years – 5 years
Letter and word practice
22
4.6 Photos of scribble work collected.
23
24
25
CHAPTER FIVE.
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
5.1 SUMMARY OF THE STUDY.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of scribbling in child growth and
development in Thogoto area, Kikuyu constituency. Three research objectives were formulated
to guide the study. The first objective was to find out what triggers scribbling in preschool
learners to scribble, second to examine what preschool learners scribble and where they do
scribble often and to investigate how scribbling has been encouraged in early years education
inclusive of before joining preschool so how has it been encouraged by parents?
This study was descriptive in nature and used survey research design. The design was chosen to
help the researcher gather all the information about scribbling in relation to child growth and
development effectively and objectively in order to draw realistic conclusions and make
important decisions. The study targeted 30 preschoolers, their 6 teachers, 3 children who have
not joined preschool and their 3 guardians. The data collected was coded, cleaned and analyzed
using descriptions, pictorials, charts and narrative descriptions.
5.2 CONCLUSION.
Although scribbling has been historically meaningless and transitional stage of child growth and
development recent studies this one included have begun to reevaluate this important moment of
child’s growth and find meaning in what was considered mere motor activity. This study
summarizes scribbling, its subphases and discovers a clear intention behind young children
gestures. Through scribbling children can develop physically, emotionally and even cognitively
which enables them to interact effectively with their peers and even fit in their own environment
as youngsters. This study indicated that scribbling evolves through a series of stages, early
graphical activity in children is sparked and maintained by their relationship with caregivers and
the desire to communicate mostly for children between 1 to 3 years. Most importantly this study
confirmed that scribbling is a very important stage in the full development of a child and in order
to promote it we need to support our youngsters we need to support them by providing enough
materials and appreciating.
26
5.3 RECCOMENDATIONS OF THE STUDY.
Scribbling is a very important stage in child growth and development and therefore I would
recommend:
Provision of enough scribbling materials in preschool classes and outside class to make enhance
convenience when they want to scribble.
scribbling to be taken seriously in classes since it really develops a lot of skills that are required
in all activities being taught in preschool.
Children who are yet to join preschool should also be supported and given opportunity to
scribble by providing them with materials by their caregivers.
Scribbling should be appreciated by displaying children work but not dismissing it and
discouraging them not to scribble.
Further studies on why introverts at early years scribble more and are driven by emotions to
scribble.
27
APPENDIX I.
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS.
Dear respondent,
The purpose of this questionnaire is to assist the researcher in finding out the role of scribbling in
child growth and development in Thogoto area. You are requested to assist by providing
information. The responses that you will provide will be treated confidentially and you are
assured to be anonymous.
Please read the instructions for each question clearly before giving your response. There are no
right or wrong answers. Tick the appropriate option(s) or fill the blank spaces where necessary.
Part one.
1. From your own understanding, how can you define scribbling?
2. What are the major roles scribbling play in child growth and development?
3. How do you teach scribbling?
4. Is scribbling an important developmental stage in early years’ education?
YES
NO
5. How do children in your class scribble without your consent?
Often
rarely
6. Where do children in your class like scribbling?
Walls
Books
On tables
28
On the ground
7. a) As a teacher do you encourage scribbling in early years’ education?
YES
NO
b) if yes, why?
8. Scribbling mainly boost performance in language activities.
TRUE
FALSE
9. Scribbling is an important art.
YES
NO
10. Scribbling is a waste of time a resources in pre-school. Skills developed through
scribbling can be compensated by other activities in preschool.
TRUE
FALSE
11. Can you classify scribbling as a form of art?
29
APPENDIX II.
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR PARENTS.
1. Have you ever scribbled?
2. Did you’re your child ask for a paper and a pencil before joining preschool? What did
he/she write on it?
3. Have you ever seen your child doing any scribble work?
YES
NO.
4. At what age did your child start scribble?
5. Do you provide your child with any scribbling materials?
6. How do you assist your child in producing scribbles?
7. How does your child scribble most of the time?
Randomly
Disorderly
Controllably
8. What is the mood of your child when he/she scribbles mostly?
Sad
Normal
Happy
9. Where else does your child scribble except on paper?
10. As a parent do you encourage scribbling in early years’ education and feel it’s very
crucial for the development of major skills?
YES
NO.
30
APPENDIX III.
Interview for preschoolers.
1. Do you enjoy scribbling?
2. When was the last time you scribbled?
3. What do you like scribbling?
4. When do you like scribbling?
5. Which materials do you use to scribble?
6. What do you like about scribbles?
7. Where do you get your ideas when you want to scribble randomly?
8. Which is you best item you could like to use every time you scribble?
9. Have you ever scribbled on walls or surfaces?
10. Will you choose coloring or scribbling?
31
APPENDIX IV.
OBSERVATION CHECKLIST.
Observation checklist item.
YES
Is scribbling included in the class timetable?
Are there enough scribbling materials in various places of the class?
Displayed work of children’s scribble work.
Scribbles on walls
Scribbles on the ground where the children like playing
Scribble work in children’s’ books
Give each child a paper and a pencil and do not tell them to write. Does a large
population scribble?
Is there any positive change in writing skills after scribbling lessons?
Children of that class are more likely to scribble randomly.
32
NO.
References.
Bruner, J. S. (1983). Child's Talk: Learning to Use Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
D. Twigg and S. Garvis., "Exploring Art in Early Childhood Education," The International
Journal of the Arts in, vol. 5, p. 12, 2010. [33] V. Löwenfeld and W. Brittain, Creative and
Mental Growth: Macmillan(N.Y.)
Dunst, C., and Gorman, E. (2009). Development of infant and toddler mark making and
scribbling. Cent. Early Learn. Lit. Rev. 2, 1–16.
Farrell-Kirk, R. (2007 February). Tips on understanding and encouraging your child’s artistic
development. Downloaded on June 10, 2008.
Gable, S. (2000). Creativity in young children. University of Missouri Extension. Downloaded
on June 10, 2008.
Jolley, R. P. (2009). Children and Pictures: Drawing and Understanding. Oxford: Backwell.
Kellogg, R. (1979). Analyzing Children's Art. Palo Alto, CA: Mayfield Publishing.
Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. (n.d.). My child is an artist! The stages of artistic
development. Downloaded on June 10, 2008.
Knight, L. (2008). Communication and transformation through collaboration: rethinking drawing
activities in early childhood. Contemp. Issues Early Child. 9, 306–316. doi:
10.2304/ciec.2008.9.4.306
Lagoni, L. S., Martin, D. H., Maslin-Cole, C., Cook, A., MacIsaac, K., Parrill, G., Bigner, J.,
Coker, E., & Sheie, S. (1989). Good times being creative. In Good times with child care (pp.
239–253). Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University Cooperative Extension. Downloaded on
June 10, 2008.
Lange-Küttner, C. (2008). “Size and contour as crucial parameters in children drawing images,”
in Children's Understanding and Production of Pictures, Drawings and Art: Theoretical and
Empirical Approaches, eds C. Milbrath and H. M. Trautner. (Göttinger: Hogrefe & Huber
Publishers), 89–106.
Levinger, L, & Mott, A. (n.d.). Developmental phases in art. Downloaded on June 10, 2008.
33
Longobardi C, Quaglia R and Iotti NO (2015) Reconsidering the scribbling stage of drawing: a
new perspective on toddlers' representational processes. Front. Psychol. 6:1227. doi:
10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01227
LSerusalimschy, Roberto; de Figueiredo, Luiz Henrique; Celes, Waldemar (12 May 2011).
"Passing a Language through the Eye of a Needle". Queue. Association for Computing
Machinery. 9 (5). ACM 1542-7730/11/0500
Malchiodi, C. A. (1998). Understanding Children's Drawings. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
McLeod, S. A. (2019, July 11). Bruner - learning theory in education. Simply Psychology.
www.simplypsychology.org/bruner.html
Papandreou, M. (2014). Communicating and thinking through drawing activity in early
childhood. J. Res. Child. Educ. 28, 85–100. doi: 10.1080/02568543.2013.851131
Pinto, G., Gamanossi, B. A., and Cameron, C. A. (2011). From scribbles to meanings: social
interactions in different cultures and emergence of young children's early drawing. Early Child
Dev. Care 181, 425–444. doi: 10.1080/03004430903442001
Quaglia, R., and Saglione, G. (1976). Il Disegno Infantile: Nuove linee Interpretative. Firenze:
Giunti.
Quaglia, R., Longobardi, C., Iotti, N. O., and Prino, L. E. (2015). A new theory on children's
drawings: analyzing the role of emotion and movement in graphical development. Infant Behav.
Dev. 39, 81–91. doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2015.02.009
Robertson, R. (2007, July/August). The meaning of marks: Understanding and nurturing young
children’s writing development. Child Care Exchange, 176, 40–44.
Scribble". Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: Eleventh Edition. Merriam-Webster's
Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.). Merriam-Webster. 2003. p. 1116. ISBN 9780877798095.
Thomas, G. V., and Silk, A. M. J. (1990). An Introduction to the Psychology of Children's
Drawing. Hemel Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes.
Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
34