Developmental Trajectories: School-Based Skills (Drawing/Scissors)

At 2-3 years, what are developmentally appropriate drawing skills?

scribbling without symbolic meaning (exploratory)

At 3-4 years, what are developmentally appropriate drawing skills?

Interprets drawing after it has been produced; shapes emerge from scribbling

At 4-5 years, what are developmentally appropriate drawing skills?

• draws an image, draws with intent a picture that represents an object, person, or event

• picture has shapes/distinct elements

• may be disordered, incorrect sizing

• draws human figure with 4-7 features

At 5-6 years, what are developmentally appropriate drawing skills?

drawing a human figure with 8-11 features

At 1.5-2 years, what are developmentally appropriate scissor skills?

• exploring scissors

• beginning to hold scissors

• may attempt to open/close scissor baldes with 2 hands

At 2-2.5 years, what are developmentally appropriate scissor skills?

• may open and close scissor blades in air

• possibly make one simple snip in paper

At 2.5-3 years, what are developmentally appropriate scissor skills?

opens and closes scissors with entire hand to make simple snips at paper

At 3-3.5 years, what are developmentally appropriate scissor skills?

starts to make jagged snips across piece of paper

At 4.5-5 years, what are developmentally appropriate scissor skills?

starts to cut out shapes while using helper hand

At 5-6 years, what are developmentally appropriate scissor skills?

can cut a variety of complex shapes within a ¼ inch of a guideline