Draw. Write. Now

I found these books when I was teaching 2nd and 3rd grade, and it was love at first sight. I am not an artist, but I wish with all of my heart that I was taught some of these simple drawings in elementary school. As a teacher - THANK GOODNESS FOR SMARTBOARDS, and the instant ability to search images instead of drawing!
Anyway, back to the books. Writing is a critical piece of developing literacy with your children. Patrick & Shannon both come home with projects from daycare that show they are working on writing and drawing. It is never too early to start. So, these books teach you step by step how to draw hundreds of pictures. They also have a writing component, but I am not using it with my kids...yet!

So, how do I use these books with my kids? When we are drawing on paper or magna doodle, Patrick will ask me to draw something (usually a horse!) I use the book to learn how to make a better drawing for him. Then, he can color in my drawing or he tries to draw on his own. My husband is a much better artist than me, and Patrick knows it. In fact he knows if he wants a horse drawn to ask Daddy instead of me. These books give me a little boost of confidence with my drawing skills.
http://www.drawyourworld.com/ - The website is filled with great ideas
Once the drawing is complete, make it come to life. Patrick usually asks for a barn for the horse, or if we draw a car he wants a road. Make up a story about your drawing together.

Your challenge - Draw with your child today. Make up a story about your drawing. Be sure to display your drawing in your house! Or, send it to grandparents.

One more tip

I have been taking photos of the art projects that Patrick and Shannon have made. Rather than keep the actual project, I plan to make a shutterfly album or their artwork every year.