Concerned that I had been overly influenced by previous reading (considerable over the last three years), I sieved through my observations with a more critical eye, but drew the same conclusions.
Opening Nursery World ('Picture this', 8 June) I found a timely article showing the results of your children's art competition. Considering the pictures must have been selected from a cross-section of boys' and girls'
entries, and realising that gender difference was not your focus, the distinction between the boys' and girls' representations was striking.
Once again, Paley's findings were mirrored - girls tend to add faces, flowers and sunshine to their pictures, while boys draw cut-away views of rooms, make maps and use rulers to illustrate their themes, often demonstrating an interest in action-poised figures and technology.
With renewed confidence, I will continue my research, reassured that my findings might just be accurate.
* Lesley Todd, distance learning student (Early Childhood Studies), London Metropolitan University
