Drawing for Kids continued...

When teaching drawing for kids, show one step of the following at a time and check that all children are successful each time. I can generally see each child's paper from where I stand and can quickly help a child who needs help.

"In your first box, draw a circle about this big - this is a nose. Put 2 little circle above it - these are eyes. Let's make a happy smile. Put your felt here, go down, go up. Put a big circle all around it for a head. Finish with some round and round hair...You've made a boy or girl..."

Finish the page in the same way.

In the next box.. Make a big circle near the bottom of your box. Make a smaller circle on top of it. Make a smaller circle on top of that circle..show each step. Draw two circles for eyes, a line for a carrot nose (triangles come later) on the top circle. You've made a snowman.

In the next box...

Make a small circle in the middle of the next box. Make a bigger circle around it.. Make an even bigger circle around that one." Show only one step at a time and check that all kids are successful. Put a long stick under it. You've made a lollipop.

In the last box..

Make a row of circles making sure that they all touch. Draw two circles for eyes on the first one (great time to teach ordinal numbers, first, second, third...). Make lots of little tiny circles under the caterpillar for feet. Now you've made a caterpillar.

Later on in the year as we engage in drawing for kids, the students sound words out as a group and print them in the boxes near drawing.

Step 4: Finish the picture

To begin with when drawing with kids, I let those who want to color their step-by-step drawings with crayons while the rest of the children choose a center. Later in the year, I ask them all to add crayon color to their pictures. After years of experimenting with crayons, I think Prang crayons are the best for primary art. They are soy based, have such bright colors and do not flake all over the tables.

"Drawing for Kids" Teacher Tips

tip If the children are having a difficult time with step by step drawing, you may be going too fast, making assumptions that they are understanding your vocabulary (right, left, under, over, beside, next to, in front of, larger, largest...) or expecting them to follow too many steps at a time.

Use the largest paper possible. Teach the students how to draw big. Children are inspired by their teacher's enthusiasm.

Give the children who already draw with confidence an extra paper and let them draw what they want between the steps if there is a waiting time.

Next page: Go from "drawing for kids - circles" to how to page 2: "Draw squares, triangles and zigzags... "