While symbolic language may function for basic communication, real observation and expression is so much more empowering and effective. Teachers should, at times, encourage children to examine things closely, slowly, and carefully, compare sizes, study the slant of a line, and compare everything with everything else in the subject being observed. Drawing becomes a perfect way to record this data. Drawing becomes the perfect way to encourage this learning by examination. A beneficial self perpetuating circle of learning is initiated.
Observation makes better drawing and drawing motivates better observation . . . .
Children only learn to see when they are free to stop looking at their paper as a mistake. They have to observe and totally become the thing being drawn. Children often need help to learn that observational drawing is much different than drawing from memory and drawings from imagination. Observational drawing is based on external data. The data must be allowed to come from the subject.