A study compared the content of children's drawings and verbal descriptions of a house. Drawing and verbal descriptions were collected in two sessions separated by a 1-week interval Participants were 16 children of 5 and 6 years of age who were in day care. Comparison of defining features in verbal and graphic descriptions revealed a distinction between basic structural and nonstructural elements of the house. Structural features were those considered prototypical of a house, such as doors, windows, roofs. Nonstructural features, such as trees, garages, kitchens, and furniture, were elements not prototypical of house descriptions. The basic structures of houses were represented by the majority of children in their drawings and descriptions. However, both prototypical items and their elaborations were more often drawn than verbalized. Nonstructural elements were separated on the basis of whether they were internal or external to the house. Features which could be seen on the outside of the house were more often depicted graphically, while those seen on inside were more often verbally represented. It is concluded that verbal and graphic representations of objects may rely on functionally distinguishable but interacting symbolic systems. (RH)