Drawing is an important activity that promotes brain development.
Children's drawing is an important element of sensitivity education and a powerful tool that supports children's multifaceted development, including cognition, emotion, creativity, and sociality. Through drawing, children can understand the world, express emotions, develop creative thinking, and promote brain development. From the perspective of sensitivity education, drawing is an important activity that should be incorporated into daily life.
The ability to draw is the ability to grow.
Drawing for Children Develops the Brain and Mind
The relationship between children's drawing and creative education has been studied from a wide range of perspectives, including psychology, cognitive science, and developmental pedagogy.
It also aims to develop problem-solving skills and the ability to generate original ideas, which is emphasized in STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics, etc.) In particular, there is a strong demand for nurturing creativity as a 21st century skill in a global educational environment.
"A child's future is developed by the age of five" - Nobel Prize-winning economist reveals the power of "non-cognitive abilities."
Professor James J. Heckman, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, has published numerous studies that support his claim that "children's development up to age 5 is important." In particular, his paper "Skill Formation and the Economics of Investing in Disadvantaged Children," published in the academic journal Science in 2006, sparked widespread recognition of the importance of non-cognitive skills.
Professor Heckman's research shows the great impact that education in early childhood, especially up to age 5, has on a child's future, and emphasizes the importance of developing non-cognitive skills. These results reaffirm the importance of early education in education policy and child-rearing at home.
Cognitive development and drawing
Children's drawing plays an important role in the development of cognitive abilities, spatial awareness, and problem-solving skills. According to developmental psychologists such as Jean Piaget, children's cognitive development progresses in stages, and drawing activities are an important means of promoting the development of symbolic thinking and imagery abilities, especially in the "preoperational stage" (approximately 2 to 7 years old). Children understand the world and organize their thoughts by visually expressing invisible concepts.
Developing sensitivity and creativity
Drawing is strongly related to the development of sensitivity. Sensuous education is a part of education that enhances the ability to perceive beauty, balance, shape and color through the five senses: sight, hearing and touch. Through the process of children choosing colors and shapes and expressing themselves freely, they can relate their inner feelings and experiences to the outside world and develop creative thinking. Drawing as a part of sensitivity education also serves as a tool to foster creativity.
Emotional Development and Self-Expression
Psychologist Lev Vygotsky has shown that children's drawings are important as emotional expressions. When children have difficulty expressing their feelings or experiences in words, they often express their emotions through drawings, which promotes emotional development. Drawing is also known to contribute to stress reduction and psychological self-regulation, which is also attracting attention as part of sensitivity education.
Manual dexterity and brain development
Drawing develops fine motor skills because it requires fine motor movement and control. This activates the prefrontal cortex (the area responsible for thinking and decision-making) and motor cortex of the brain, promoting perceptual and physical development. In this way, drawing activities contribute to the development of the entire brain.
Relation to social and cultural context
Sensitivity education is also a process for deepening social understanding while reflecting each child's individual experience and cultural background. Drawing also functions as a means of communication with others, and through dialogue with other children and adults, children develop the ability to understand the perspectives of others. This also enhances social skills and cooperation.
Art Therapy
Drawing not only serves as a form of emotional education, but also as art therapy. Art therapy is considered an effective way to relieve children's anxiety and stress, organize their emotions, and bring about psychological stability. In this way, emotional education and drawing are deeply connected to mental health and emotional development.