KNOWING YOUR CHILD THROUGH HIS HANDWRITING AND DRAWINGS

An awkwardly written guide that generalizes sloppily and shows little regard for context. Solomon, a Palm Beach County graphology consultant, maintains that parents who read her book can interpret their children's handwriting and drawings and thereby understand them better. Or, as she phrases it, ""By focusing attention on his drawings and writings you will discover the attitudes and reactions to which his personality is being challenged."" Just decide which dispositional type your child represents (happy-cooperative, passive, or self-motivated) and what kind of activity needs he demonstrates (small, moderate, strong, or dynamic) and look at the work sample for cues. For instance, dotting the letter i underneath instead of above shows a blatant resistance to authority. The child who links one word to the next is afraid of being alone. If the writing slant keeps changing, it signals a conflict between Mother and Father. And so it goes, with no respect for individual associations or experience and inconsequential discussion of individual differences. Early on, Solomon asks, ""What kind of child is he beyond being good or bad?"" Good or bad? With luck, one who can see the writing on the wall.