8 Talents
How to choose the right afternoon activity?
First, some ground rules – they contradict each other, and this is no Coincidence…
1. An afternoon activity is designed to enhance an area where the child feels weak and unconfident.
2. An afternoon activity is designed to enhance an area where the child feels strong and confident.
Of course there are also other pertinent considerations, such as "this is the only way to keep him away from the computer"…
Second, armed with these two ground rules, we narrow the choice. If the child is strong enough in other areas, we can choose an activity that enhances a skill in which he is weak, and vice versa.
And now for the next step: this is the opportunity to look at your children's drawings and use them to understand what your child truly needs. Children's drawings are a reflection of their inner world, and as such can be used to evaluate talents, feelings, fears, needs, etc.
When a child holds a pencil for the first time, he starts out on a new, long and exciting journey. Like a little researcher, he comes back to the drawing table again and again, excitedly examining what he has managed to do. This is his own private creation, and through it he expresses the most important thing to him – his inner world.
When interpreting children's drawings, the emphasis would be not on what the child drew, but on how he drew it. Since drawing analysis relies on developmental psychology theories, we may expect children of the same age to draw similar elements.
Age appropriateness. The first thing you must check is whether the drawing is age appropriate. If the level of drawing does not match the age, such that a six year-old is scribbling like a two year-old, you should perhaps not send him to an afternoon activity for first-graders. Perhaps you would do better to have him diagnosed by an occupational therapist. Another possibility is that his drawing level has regressed due to a particular fear or distress. In this case, perhaps an afternoon activity is not a good idea. Perhaps it would be better to spend more quality time with the family.
Colors. Next, check for a dominant color. Colors have different meanings in various cultures. In some parts of China, for example, it is recommended not to write names in red (the color used by Buddhists to write the names of the dead). In Rome, purple gifts are considered bad luck. In many parts of Asia, white is associated with mourning. As we have seen, however, the use of color in young ages is culture-independent, free and intuitive.
When I analyze children's drawings I give a lot of weight to color choice and combination. I consider a certain color dominant when it is clearly preferred to another. For example, red connotes movement, so that sports or dancing activities are more suitable for "red" children. Note, however, that I never analyze a drawing based exclusively on color use, but also on other important parameters such as line quality, design of elements, etc.
The next drawing was sent to me (with 20 others) by a reader of my column in a well – known parental magazine. It was made by her 4½ year-old daughter Dana. She told me her child was in a Judo class and she wanted to know if that was appropriate to her, and what other activities could best develop her talents.
In addition, she told me that when she had asked Dana about her favorite color, the child answered, "All the colors in the world!”
"What is your favorite color?" This is a significant question, particularly with kids for whom color is a key means of expression. Can you adults say which color you like best? It is difficult to draw an analytic comparison here, because the tendency to love a certain color, as opposed to handwriting style, is intuitive and subjective. Some children will say they like red, and others will name other colors. When asked to name any color, most adults will also say red. Red is a primary color, related to self-expression: red flagging, drawing a red line…
Let us understand what Dana meant when she said she liked all the colors in the world.
Seeing the talent through the drawings. Dana's drawings show me she is a creative and curious child, because she uses original design variations when making her artistic choices. It is important for her to be involved and up to-date. She likes to be part of what's going on around her and has a presence you cannot ignore – this I have deduced from the full and high-quality spread over the entire page.
From a young age, Dana is a curious child, and therefore does not takes rules for granted but demands explanations – this is evident mainly in some of her other drawings, where you can see true inquisitiveness. In terms of fine motor skills, she is exceptionally mature for her age.
Motor maturity also has to do with cognitive maturity, from which I deduce that Dana is highly intelligent and needs well -reasoned explanations because she doesn't "buy" anything... She has a great talent for writing, which will be evident in the future, in school. But already she likes making up and telling stories, as evident from the combination of high motor and cognitive skills.
And now to the parents' question. I can understand their choice of Judo because the drawings indicate that Dana is something of a tomboy – she does not draw hearts and is not enamored in pink like most girls her age.
In addition, although she has a great sense of rhythm and likes to sing, dancing, and in particular ballet, does not suit her at all . By the way, since I am constantly asked that question, suitability for ballet requires a different style of drawing than the one evident in the example attached here.
This girl moves freely with the color and invents something new each time. She is her own choreographer. A strict ballet class with recurring, stereotypical movements may not suit her. But then, based on my personal acquaintance with the area, I would qualify that statement by saying that it all depends on the teacher.
If the ballet teacher stresses having each girl learn about her own body, and more importantly, being at ease with her body image rather than stick to the lesson plan, then girls such as Dana will definitely benefit from a ballet class. Having said that, I believe Dana could also enjoy and benefit from a capoeira class. A sculpture or pottery class could also attract her.
To conclude, Dana is highly intelligent so I would recommend her parents to enroll her in integrative classes that combine several arts. She grasps things quickly and could be easily bored in a class which would not enable her to express herself in her unique way. After all, she likes "All the colors in the World!”