Drawing
Overview
Encouraging young children to draw and to explain their drawings in the classroom, can support the development of Core Academic Literacies. Drawing activities also help learners sharpen the cognitive and motor skills required for conventional writing. Educators should take into account that learners who struggle with Sensory Integration or motor skills may find it difficult to modulate their pencil pressure, and can consider adjusting the medium accordingly. Encouraging discussion around these drawings in the classroom is also important for social-emotional development, as these activities help learners express themselves in new and open-ended ways, supporting Communication skills and increasing Motivation. In addition, drawing activities can help young learners regulate and support Emotional well-being, allowing them to reflect inward as a break or distraction from typical academic settings. Artistic expression can support learners' Sense of Belonging in the classroom as these modalities help them to explore and demonstrate their individual interests to foster Identity development and communicate Emotion. This can be particularly important for students from historically and systematically excluded groups, or for students who may be dealing with Adverse Experiences.
Example: Use This Strategy in the Classroom
Watch as these elementary teachers use drawing activities with students to support emergent writing. By allowing unstructured drawing time and later using drawings in literacy activities, teachers support both Foundational Writing Skills and early reading.
Design It into Your Product
Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
More Active Learning Strategies
Students explaining their thinking during learning is a metacognitive process that involves actively self-questioning or being questioned while exploring new concepts, and explaining thoughts and reasoning in response.
Visiting places connected to classroom learning provides opportunities to add relevance to classroom topics and deepen understanding through firsthand experiences.
Games support learning as learners engage with new information in fun and informal ways.
Simulations involve students engaging in interactive experiences that mimic real-world scenarios to explore content, practice skills, and solve problems.
