How to Teach Kids How to Draw
Make art part of the routine., Don't teach., Make observations., Ask open-ended questions., Make art part of emotional processing., Affirm pre-writing., Display and save their drawings.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make art part of the routine.
Incorporate art-making into playtime.
Make an art-zone if you want to isolate the mess.
Tape down paper for them to draw on and spill on, and make a smock out of old clothes.
Taping paper on a table can help a small child focus on the motion of drawing, without having to hold down and adjust the drawing paper.
Buy chunky crayons and washable markers that are easy to grip.Children will begin their drawing by scribbling.
Around 2 years of age, the scribbles will become more controlled and repetitive, and children may begin to grip crayons and markers between their thumb and pointer finger for more control.
Offer a variety of art materials at this age.
Don't focus only on drawing with tools: children can draw by tracing pictures in sand, or shaping clay and sticking it on the page.
Buy washable paints, nontoxic clay, chalk, child-safe scissors, and many kinds of paper, and store in an easy to access spot. -
Step 2: Don't teach.
Children develop basic motor skills with every scribble.
They also develop creativity, invention, and self-expression.
A child this young needs no instructions, only appreciation.
Sit with children when they draw, talk with them about their art, but do not attempt to teach.Avoid the impulse to correct.
Small children may paint purple grass, floating people, and babies the size of houses.
If you correct them you will damage their self-confidence and interrupt their natural learning progress. , Rather than praising or correcting a child's art, observe it.
Comment on the process, not the product.
While the child draws, say "look at all the circles you are making! Some small circles are inside the big circles" or "I see you are using orange and green crayons now." Say what you like about a drawing: "that big sun makes me think of a day at the beach!" or "I like how all the trees have different colored leaves."
Avoid asking "what is it?" when presented with a drawing.
Instead, ask "can you tell me about your drawing?" If a child is excited to talk about their drawing, ask more questions.
A child may begin to add more details when you ask questions.
When a child is drawing representational work, they will often imagine a story that goes with the work.
Asking them to tell you more details of their story will encourage them to draw more details.If you ask "what does the girl smell," for example, they are more likely to add a nose.
If you ask "is the dog lonely at night?" they may draw more animals.
This kind of exchange encourages imagination, story-telling abilities, and drawing skills., If a child is experiencing a strong emotion, offer them paper and markers, or some clay.
If a child is having a tantrum, suggest they make an angry picture.
If they are sad, a sad one.
Art can help children process intense emotions that may be too complex for them to put in words.
Giving a child a creative activity over which they have sovereignty can help them gain a sense of control., Around 2 ½ to 3 ½ years of age, children will begin drawing squiggles meant to represent words.
These drawings are a child's first steps toward writing.
As they grow, the squiggles will become more complex.
A child may begin to vary short and long squiggles, or draw letter-like shapes mixed up with real letters.
These drawings are an exciting sign that a child understands that words can be written to communicate meaning.Children are likely to tell you that certain squiggles "mean" something, or ask you to read them aloud.
Affirm the meaning of the squiggles that are read to you, and ask for help reading the others.
Let children use the texts they produce.
Bring them to the post office to mail their "letters" (with an accompanying note) to relatives, Santa, or themselves. , Putting children's art up is a way of letting them know their work is interesting and important.
Rather than praising every individual drawing, display it.
You do not have to put up every piece of art: ask each child what they would like displayed, or create a rotating "gallery" that changes weekly or monthly.
Keep a portfolio of each child's drawings so they can observe their process.
It is more important that a child's practice is affirmed than that their art products are displayed.
Displaying final products is no replacement for encouraging the development of their drawing. -
Step 3: Make observations.
-
Step 4: Ask open-ended questions.
-
Step 5: Make art part of emotional processing.
-
Step 6: Affirm pre-writing.
-
Step 7: Display and save their drawings.
Detailed Guide
Incorporate art-making into playtime.
Make an art-zone if you want to isolate the mess.
Tape down paper for them to draw on and spill on, and make a smock out of old clothes.
Taping paper on a table can help a small child focus on the motion of drawing, without having to hold down and adjust the drawing paper.
Buy chunky crayons and washable markers that are easy to grip.Children will begin their drawing by scribbling.
Around 2 years of age, the scribbles will become more controlled and repetitive, and children may begin to grip crayons and markers between their thumb and pointer finger for more control.
Offer a variety of art materials at this age.
Don't focus only on drawing with tools: children can draw by tracing pictures in sand, or shaping clay and sticking it on the page.
Buy washable paints, nontoxic clay, chalk, child-safe scissors, and many kinds of paper, and store in an easy to access spot.
Children develop basic motor skills with every scribble.
They also develop creativity, invention, and self-expression.
A child this young needs no instructions, only appreciation.
Sit with children when they draw, talk with them about their art, but do not attempt to teach.Avoid the impulse to correct.
Small children may paint purple grass, floating people, and babies the size of houses.
If you correct them you will damage their self-confidence and interrupt their natural learning progress. , Rather than praising or correcting a child's art, observe it.
Comment on the process, not the product.
While the child draws, say "look at all the circles you are making! Some small circles are inside the big circles" or "I see you are using orange and green crayons now." Say what you like about a drawing: "that big sun makes me think of a day at the beach!" or "I like how all the trees have different colored leaves."
Avoid asking "what is it?" when presented with a drawing.
Instead, ask "can you tell me about your drawing?" If a child is excited to talk about their drawing, ask more questions.
A child may begin to add more details when you ask questions.
When a child is drawing representational work, they will often imagine a story that goes with the work.
Asking them to tell you more details of their story will encourage them to draw more details.If you ask "what does the girl smell," for example, they are more likely to add a nose.
If you ask "is the dog lonely at night?" they may draw more animals.
This kind of exchange encourages imagination, story-telling abilities, and drawing skills., If a child is experiencing a strong emotion, offer them paper and markers, or some clay.
If a child is having a tantrum, suggest they make an angry picture.
If they are sad, a sad one.
Art can help children process intense emotions that may be too complex for them to put in words.
Giving a child a creative activity over which they have sovereignty can help them gain a sense of control., Around 2 ½ to 3 ½ years of age, children will begin drawing squiggles meant to represent words.
These drawings are a child's first steps toward writing.
As they grow, the squiggles will become more complex.
A child may begin to vary short and long squiggles, or draw letter-like shapes mixed up with real letters.
These drawings are an exciting sign that a child understands that words can be written to communicate meaning.Children are likely to tell you that certain squiggles "mean" something, or ask you to read them aloud.
Affirm the meaning of the squiggles that are read to you, and ask for help reading the others.
Let children use the texts they produce.
Bring them to the post office to mail their "letters" (with an accompanying note) to relatives, Santa, or themselves. , Putting children's art up is a way of letting them know their work is interesting and important.
Rather than praising every individual drawing, display it.
You do not have to put up every piece of art: ask each child what they would like displayed, or create a rotating "gallery" that changes weekly or monthly.
Keep a portfolio of each child's drawings so they can observe their process.
It is more important that a child's practice is affirmed than that their art products are displayed.
Displaying final products is no replacement for encouraging the development of their drawing.
About the Author
Justin Graham
Specializes in breaking down complex home improvement topics into simple steps.
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