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Kenzie studies a Draw Write Now lesson daily, currently working in Draw Write Now, Book 5, which introduces the fundamental principles of the United States, shows how the United States grew from 13 colonies to a nation of 50 states, and presents a timeline of American innovations.
Kenzie will be 8 years-old in June. Her great-grandmother is Marie Hablitzel, author of Draw Write Now, Books 1-8.
Children with poor motor-skills need training in handwriting and should not be told to simply forgo the pencil and use a computer to write.
A bright teen came to me for help. He wrote only on the computer and found that there were times when it was necessary to write by hand. His lack of handwriting experience hindered him with illegible and slow writing, but more significantly, he had problems composing without a computer. He was unable to mentally outline an essay—he had always used cut and paste to organize his thoughts.
Poor motor-skills can improve with age and practice. As a young child, this teen should have received help with his fine-motor and gross-motor development, and the standard of perfect penmanship should have been loosened. His caring parents would have helped him, but they were told, "Don't worry, he will write with a computer." As it was, this bright and motivated young man saw the need to catch up and simply worked on it himself. For some, an occupational therapist trained to work with handwriting can make the difference.
The computer is a fine tool for writing, but not when it keeps us from exercising our brains. Handwriting practice that leads to a legible script is a terribly important skill for growing minds. It is a necessary skill that should not be taken lightly.
Speech, writing, grammar, spelling, vocabulary—the parts and pieces of Language Arts. They fall into the categories of creativity and craftsmanship:
I just love your Draw Write Now books! I have the eight-book boxed set and have been enjoying them every week with my four and five year-olds. I am trying to incorporate the lessons with my social studies/history plans; it is working wonderfully! My question: is there a full list of the drawings in all eight books? I am finding myself, for example, hoping there is an owl and needing to search the Table of Contents of all eight books to find what I need.
Donna
Yes, Donna!
Here's the list:
pdf download (49kb)
Another option is to use the search box. For example, insert “owl” in the search box and the result shown is “Draw Write Now, Book 2.”
Note: The search box is found on the footer of each page of this website.
List: The lessons in each of the eight Draw Write Now books (49 KB)
It's the Turtle lesson from Draw Write Now, Book 6. Get the recipe from the National Watermelon Promotion Board website, watermelon.org
Set the table with this turtle watermelon!
Watermelon Carving recipe: National Watermelon Promotion Board website.
Turtle by Hannah, age 5
Then, pull out the paper and crayons and draw the turtle.
Turtle Drawing Lesson: Draw Write Now, Book 6, page 34.
Fine Motor Development, see CurriculumChoice.
Betsy’s review at curriculumchoice.com of PlayPack: Fine Motor Focus.
PlayPack: Fine Motor Focus
Regular activities such as cutting, drawing, finger paining, lego building, playing jacks, and play dough are all great activities to develop the finger muscles. But what do you do when your child balks when presented with small muscle play? Here are three more ideas to try, from PlayPack: Fine Motor Focus:
Find PlayPacks in our store.
See Betsy’s full review and helpful tips at CurriculumChoice.
The role of editor is explained in this new CommonCraft video. Many websites operate without an editor, so it’s important for each of us to…Think Like an Editor
As an author, I appreciate the guidance of a good editor. Children ask me how I feel when my editor asks me to change something or questions my work. I let them know:
I encourage children to think of their teachers as editors. A good, objective editor (or teacher) helps us improve.
