The Interests of Children of the Primary and Intermediate Grades in the Use of Color

Abstract

The following study is an attempt to find out the primary interests of children of the lower grades in the use of color. It deals with three questions: (I) In what colors are children of the primary and intermediate grades most interested? (2) In their undirected representations, do they give major consideration to accuracy of representation, or to playing with favorite colors? (3) In following their own initiative, do they make use of color primarily as a means of representation, or for the pleasurable sensations derived? In order to ascertain with some degree of certainty the colors that give children the most delightful sensations, the following test was arranged. Colored squares of paper were prepared, representing each of the spectrum colors, and sets were given to each child of the first three grades to mount in the order of his preference. The pupils of the fourth and fifth grades were given the spectrum colors, and after they had used them, each one was asked to designate his favorite color and his second choice. Tables of frequency were compiled from these data, and the results are shown in surfaces of frequency in Chart I. An examination of the data for the first three grades showed that it was not worth while to compute tables beyond the second choice. Color as the expression of a third, fourth, fifth, or sixth choice was merely a perfunctory matter. In the surfaces of frequency of Chart I, the firstand secondchoice colors of 74 children of the first grade, 50 of the second grade, 6o of the third grade, 42 of the fourth grade, and 39 of the fifth grade are given. The ordinate shows the percentage of children, and the abscissa the spectrum colors in the following order: red, blue, yellow, violet, orange, green. Figs. I to 5 inclusive show the 18o