How do I know if my child likes school?
To understand if you feel comfortable with the relationship with your classmates and a teacher, a drawing will help.
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Where to start
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Ask your child to draw the image "I am in school", that is, broadly. Do not give additional instructions. It is important that the plot is chosen by the artist himself.
We will use plain paper and colored pencils.
Let the child draw calmly, do not stand close and do not wait for the result, let him reflect and dream. That's when he says: "Ready!", Then asks to see.
What to look for?
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The colors conveys the general mood of the image.
- Bright and visually pleasing tones indicate that the child feels comfortable with the new student status. The more bright colors used, the better: you are really interested in learning, you are excited.
- Dark colors, dirty tones make it clear that your first grader is emotionally depressed, stressed by abrupt changes and a new rhythm of life.
Scene
- If you draw the classroom. This is a good sign: the child, in principle, is prepared to study and understand where the main events take place here, what to focus on.
- The patio, the hall, the gym, the dining room are represented: the artist is not very interested in the lessons: he wants to play and talk more, instead of spending time in the textbook.
Heroes and plot
- The artist himself: what is he doing? If he, for example, responds on the board, read; that is, he participates in some way in the educational process, this is a good sign: it means that he has already been involved in the studies, it is interesting for him to study.
Simply sitting at a desk (without writing, without reading). Then, until I really understood why people go to school. Mom just sent it there, because "it's necessary." He turned to look at him, he smiles: the adaptation was successful, he cannot worry about his emotional state. Is it worth your back? - Probably, he is confused, a little out of place, has mixed feelings, which are difficult to handle. - Teacher If represented in the image, it means that the child understands what important role the teacher plays. The figure is noticeably larger, more massive than that of other characters: for a child, this is an authorized person. Of course, if the teacher takes half of the sheet, this may already indicate pressure (or high anxiety of the child).
- Classmates. If they smile, discuss something, draw, play together: the situation in the classroom is pleasant, the boy got used to it and fit into the new team.
- There is no teacher or classmates in the figure: the school for the child is still a kind of "link", recruitment. Here he feels uncomfortable, he feels strange, he doesn't understand how to communicate with others.
Additional Details
- Cards and portraits on the wall, an electronic whiteboard, a stack of textbooks, notebooks: any attribute of school life that complements the masterpiece makes it clear that the child is motivated to learn, attentive to details.
- The empty room, the figures seem to hang in the air - distance themselves from school, they don't want to "let" the school into their lives. Therefore, the child "does not realize" neither the teacher nor the class.
If the figure has many plots, corrections and cross-outs, the artist is worried, not confident.
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If several signs indicate that the adaptation is not going too well, this is not a reason to immediately transfer the child to another school or run to complain to the principal. It takes time to get comfortable.
Discuss your picture peacefully with the child: ask for a more detailed description of the plot, what kind of children are represented, what the teacher is doing.
Since this is not a "serious" conversation with mom, but only a discussion of the drawing, you can count on more frankness. Think together what exactly causes difficulties and how you can deal with them.
Be more attentive, talk, listen to your son or daughter, be sure to praise their first successes including the little ones. Your support will give you confidence and help you adapt faster.
After a while, you can ask again to draw a picture on the same topic and see how the child's attitude has changed.
Source of information:
https://www.psicodiagnosis.es/areaespecializada/instrumentosdeevaluacion/testdelacasa/index.php
https://www.guiainfantil.com/articulos/educacion/conducta/como-detectar-un-problema-en-el-nino-a-traves-de-sus-dibujos/
https://www.abc.es/familia/padres-hijos/abci-fernando-alberca-puede-saber-piensa-y-siente-nino-cuatro-o-cinco-dibujos-201703061150_noticia.html