THE EVOLUTION OF CHILDREN'S DRAWING AND ITS VALUE AS A TOOL FOR UNDERSTANDING EMOTIONAL AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Abstract

This paper explores children's drawing as a tool for understanding emotional and cognitive development in early childhood education. Through a theoretical review and the analysis of three drawings made by 4-year-old children, it examines how drawings reflect aspects such as motor coordination, symbolisation, perception of the environment and emotional state. The theoretical framework includes classical and current contributions on the stages of graphic development and the value of drawing in educational, adverse and functional diversity contexts. Gender-related differences in graphic expression are also addressed. In the practical part, the selected drawings show different levels of development, symbolisation and expressiveness, revealing relevant information about children's perception of themselves and their environment. The results confirm that children's drawings are a valuable way to observe the integral development of the child. It is concluded that its systematic integration in the classroom can improve continuous assessment, attention to diversity and the emotional well-being of students.