How is illustrating (drawing) relevant to school performance? Students use illustrating at school for variety of reasons, including - but not limited to - sharing information before they can write or spell, enhancing a written story, recording information such as the steps to a science experiment, giving visual support to solve math problems, and recording geometric math problems.
Developmentally, as children begin to scribble, draw simple pictures and copy shapes it:
1) helps build positional language that will be used with letter formation such as down, up, on top of and next to.
2) teaches spatial relations, such as the ability to judge spaces between words and letters and line up math problems.
3) enhances visual attention to detail.
4) allows students to use their hands to document and share information they know.
Illustrating is similar to writing as it requires a student to form a thought in their head, hold that thought and produce that information on paper. As they draw a picture, they add details to the illustration (the story) and erase/change (edit) the picture as needed. An added extra: time spent coloring and drawing helps to strengthen arms, hands and fingers for writing.
Print: Activities to develop illustration / drawing skills
Activities to develop illustration / drawing skills
1) Use step by step modeling when drawing: Begin with two separate sheets of papers to trade back and forth as you draw together. Here is an example of drawing a house together: The adult begins: "I'll draw a square for a house on my paper. Now you draw a square on your paper." Then: "Now let’s trade papers and I'll draw a roof on your square and you draw a roof on my square." Continue to trade papers back and forth: "Let’s trade papers again and I'll draw windows on this house and you draw windows on that house." Keep going: "Switch again and I'll draw a tree trunk by this house, and you draw a tree trunk by that house." etc. - In this manner, the adult can give clarity to the pictures along the way and at the end of the drawing session there are two beautiful pictures that everyone can feel successful about. (video under construction)
2) When coloring pre-printed pictures (such as a coloring book) have your student outline specific parts before filling that part in. Example: trace around the wheel with black before coloring in the wheel. This promotes fine motor control of the crayon, visual spatial development and visual attention to detail.
3) Have student add details to a partially draw person. You can use a template such as these: person template #1, person template #2, person template #3, or make your own. Depending on the age of the student, they can add simple body parts such as eyes, hair and mouth. With an older student you can ask them to add details such as a shirt, shoes or a belt. Tailor the activity to support comprehension of listening to a book. "What color of shirt was the boy wearing?" "If it was cold outside, draw a coat." "Since it was raining, make the person hold an umbrella."
Useful websites:
http://www.do2learn.com/activities/artprojects/howtodraw/index.htm