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Draw
"In the seven years these lessons have been part of my curriculum, I have watched my students gain confidence in their drawing skills, enabling them to draw creatively on their own.”
— Virginia C., 1 & 2 grade teacher
Teaching Drawing to Children
Teach basic drawing skills to children while looking at the drawings in Draw Write Now.
Sample Draw Write Now lessons
You may also try providing real objects to draw. Here are some tips for choosing your subjects:
- Choose a subject that has concrete shapes and lines, such as a bicycle. The wheels on the bike are circles. The frame and spokes are straight lines.
- Show the side or front view. It is easier to draw the front of a face, than it is to draw a face that is partially turned to the left or the right. It is easier to draw a bike that is leaning flat against a wall, than a bike that is standing on the kick-stand.
- Keep the images clean -- don't have overlapping subjects or objects. Show a boy with a dog at his side, rather than a boy with a dog sitting on his lap.
- Show the complete subject. Draw the entire dog -- head, four legs, tail.
Integrate Drawing Instruction Into the Curriculum
Marie Hablitzel, a second grade teacher, used drawing instruction as the core of her unit studies. Each and every morning, right after roll call, her class did a drawing together. We show here, the daily schedule she followed in her classroom. We also show how the lessons can be taught weekly.
Daily
Class Instruction
 5 to 10 minutes, 1. Present the Subject
15 minutes, 2. Draw the Subject
Independent Work
15 minutes, 3. Draw the Background
The children worked independently, Marie helped individual students or talked about the subject being drawn.
Class Instruction
15 minutes, 4. Handwriting Practice
Independent Work
15 to 20 minutes, 5. Color
The coloring time was actually scheduled during center-time. The children rotated through the centers right after doing Handwriting Practice.
Group 1 - color the drawings at their desks
Group 2 - writing composition with teacher or aid
Group 3 - reading with teacher or aid
Group 4 - word puzzles
Weekly
Monday
15 minutes, 1. Present the Subject
Tuesday
15 minutes, 2. Draw the Subject
Wednesday
15 minutes, 3. Draw the Background
Thursday
15 minutes, 4. Write or Talk About the Drawing
Friday
15 minutes, 5. Color
Draw Write Now, Books 1 - 8 include step-by-step drawing instruction and short sentences for writing practice. In addition, each book is a complete unit study for exploring history, geography, science, and social studies. The lessons are flexible and easy enough for children to use independently or as a fun family activity. The series has received numerous awards for its value in the home as well as in the classroom.
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