The Early Use and Development of Graphic Formulas: Two Case Study Reports of Graphic Formula Production by 2- to 3-year-old Children

Abstract

Graphic formulas are an important denotational device in the drawing repertoires of adults and school-age children. They provide a stable basis for working out, modifying, and elaborating various aspects of graphicrepresentation. As such, they might also serve as useful graphic devices for very young children who are just beginning to use drawing as a representational medium. However, there are very few studies which have examined graphic formula production in the earliest phases of drawing. The case study reports presented here focus on the use and elaboration of graphic formulas by two 2to 3-year-old children. They provide strong evidence, first, that graphic formulas are indeed available to even very young children. Secondly, they provide insight into the developmental processes by which the elaboration and reorganisation of graphic formulas occurs.

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