What to Expect When Teaching The Symbol-Making Stage
Somewhere between random scribbling and recognizable pictures lies the symbol-making stage — a period where children begin using simple shapes and marks to stand in for real things, even if the resemblance is loose. Teaching through this stage means learning to see meaning in marks that might otherwise look abstract.
What to Expect During the Symbol-Making Stage
Expect a circle to become a face, a few connected lines to become a person, or a scribbled patch to represent a whole scene, at least in the artist's own mind. The connection between the symbol and the real object is often loose and can change from moment to moment — the same shape might be "mommy" one minute and "a dog" the next. This flexibility is a normal and healthy part of symbolic thinking taking shape.
Common Signs of This Stage
- Using a small set of repeated shapes to represent different things.
- Naming a drawing after it's finished, rather than before starting.
- Simple figures made of circles and lines, often called "tadpole people."
- Increasing willingness to talk about what a drawing "is," even briefly.
A Simple Activity to Try
Ask your child to draw their family, and simply listen as they explain who's who, without correcting the proportions or details. This stage is about symbolic meaning, not visual accuracy, so the story behind the drawing matters more than how closely it resembles reality. A relaxed coloring page session can be a nice complement, letting a child practice color and shape recognition alongside this new symbolic thinking.
Common Challenges
Parents sometimes worry when a "person" has arms coming out of their head or a house floats above the ground. These oddities are typical of symbol-making and don't reflect a misunderstanding of the world — they reflect a child's own developing shorthand for representing it. Avoid correcting proportions or "fixing" a drawing to look more realistic; that tends to come naturally with more practice and time.
Tips for Parents and Teachers
- Ask open questions about a drawing rather than guessing what it shows.
- Let symbols stay flexible and changeable without pushing for consistency.
- Offer a consistent set of drawing tools so recurring symbols can develop.
- Avoid correcting proportions, placement, or "accuracy" during this stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my child's person have legs coming straight out of the head?
This is a very common and normal feature of early symbol-making, often called a "tadpole" figure. It reflects developing representation skills, not a misunderstanding.
Should I encourage more realistic details?
It's usually best to let realism develop naturally over time rather than prompting for it. This stage is about symbolic meaning, not accuracy.
How is this different from the scribbling stage?
In the scribbling stage, marks generally aren't meant to represent anything specific. In the symbol-making stage, marks start to stand in for real people, objects, or ideas.
Conclusion
The symbol-making stage is where storytelling and drawing start to intertwine. Curious about what comes before or after? Our guides on drawing activities for the scribbling stage and drawing activities for the pictorial stage cover the stages on either side. Enjoy the stories your child tells through their symbols — they're a window into how they see the world.