Understanding the Four Stages of Development...   When one charts the graphic development of children as they progress from preschool to the upper elementary school grades, at least four distinct stages or shifts can be observed. First, children begin to scribble at about one or two years of age. Second, representational shapes and figures emerge around the age of three or four. Third, children develop and use graphic symbols for representing the things they encounter in their environment. Lastly, around the age of nine or ten, children strive toward optical realism in their drawings. It is important to note that these changes don't occur abruptly; rather, they are often marked by small sub-stages or points in which children may exhibit characteristics of two stages in one drawing. Click here to learn about the first stage of development - Scribble