my lovely motherhood: Copy Drawing for Children

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Copy Drawing for Children

Every child is a creative being. They were born with creative minds. One of the methods to enhance their creativity is by drawing. Give them a sketchbook, a pencil and bunch of color pencils, and they will ready to let their creative minds working. Last two days, I let Iris copied drawing from a book. She can read simple English instruction so I just let her draw what was instructed. This activity benefits both drawing and reading. She copied the ballerina and elaborated the drawings. She drew two ballet dancers dancing on stage with tree prop, and drapes too. I read an article here stating that it is not recommendable for children to copy a drawing as s/he would feel inferior with their ability to draw. I found it's partly true somehow, quoted the author:

"I never draw on the child's paper. Learning to see is done by studying the thing, animal, or person being drawn - not by getting the teacher to correct the work. The student should own the whole process and product."

I, on another view of point, just let my children draw. It is best if they could copy then elaborate the drawings. This could be necessary for small children. However, if my children asked me to draw, I encouraged them to draw first. The thing I need to improve (and change) is to be with them at the beginning of the drawing process, not at the end. It is important for us parents to sit and see the first line they draw until the end of the drawing. And the most vital part is how would we respond to our children's drawings. Praise them fairly. If they need improvement, point out to them and say it in encouraging phrases. Make drawing time fun time for our children!

Iris felt easy with the this childlike drawing. She said "Dia color macam Iris jugak, ada lagi putih-putih." (Hint: Give your children to copy a drawing which is suitable for their ages).