Stage and Structure in the Development of Children's Spatial Representations

Distinctive qualities mark the artwork of children at different periods in their development. This phenomenon attracted attention over a century ago, and has continued to be of interest in modern times (Lowenfeld & Brittain, 1970). Although early writers were content to describe the sequence of changes in children’s drawings in general terms (Clark, 1897; Cooke, 1885; Eng, 1931; Goodenough, 1926; Harris, 1963; Kellogg, 1967; Luquet, 1927), more recent scholars have reacted against this practice and pointed out its shortcomings (Freeman, 1972; Gardner, 1980).