Which of the following children is demonstrating behavior that is atypical of a three-year-old?

Which of the following children is demonstrating behavior that is atypical of a three-year-old?

• A. Katya draws figures that resemble circles.
• B. Tranh covers a page with scribbles and calls it a grocery list.
• C. Gwen has difficulty holding and cutting with scissors.
• D. Jonah draws detailed pictures of his mother with specific facial features.

Answer: (D)

Three-year-olds are just beginning to represent people in their drawings, usually with simple shapes like a circle for a head and basic lines for limbs. They may scribble and even pretend-write, but their drawings typically remain simple and not highly detailed. Drawing a mother with specific facial features shows a level of representational detail that is more advanced than what’s expected at this age, indicating a skill set that is not typical for a three-year-old. The other behaviors fit common patterns: circling shapes, scribbling labeled as a pretend list, and experimenting with scissors are all within the kinds of activities young children often try as they develop fine motor control and early symbol use.

Three-year-olds are just beginning to represent people in their drawings, usually with simple shapes like a circle for a head and basic lines for limbs. They may scribble and even pretend-write, but their drawings typically remain simple and not highly detailed. Drawing a mother with specific facial features shows a level of representational detail that is more advanced than what’s expected at this age, indicating a skill set that is not typical for a three-year-old. The other behaviors fit common patterns: circling shapes, scribbling labeled as a pretend list, and experimenting with scissors are all within the kinds of activities young children often try as they develop fine motor control and early symbol use.