Can drawings facilitate symbolic understanding of figurative language in children?

• Published in: British journal of developmental psychology Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 345 - 362
• Main Authors: Allen, Melissa L., Butler, Harriet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.09.2020
• Subjects: Between-subjects design; Childhood; children; Dogs; figurative language; metaphor; symbolic; Symbols; Understanding; symbolic; metaphor; children; drawings; figurative language

Understanding figurative language develops during middle childhood. Drawing can facilitate recall and may aid other aspects of linguistic expression. We examined whether children provide more symbolic interpretations of figurative statements in drawings relative to verbal explanations, and whether d...