Drawing Children Into Reading: a qualitative case study of a preschool drawing curriculum

• Published in: Early child development and care 2016-04, Vol.186 (4), p.624-641
• Main Author: DeFauw, Danielle L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Art Education; Case Studies; Coding; Early Childhood Education; elementary education; Freehand Drawing; Handwriting; handwriting instruction; Interviews; Michigan; preschool; Preschool Education; Psychomotor Skills; Reading Instruction; Reading Motivation; Reading Readiness; Teaching Methods; Video Technology
• ISSN: 0300-4430; 1476-8275
• DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2015.1052422

This article details a qualitative case study of 24 preschool children engaged with step-by-step drawing instruction provided by five educators as they developed their fine motor skills and drew detailed objects using the Drawing Children Into Reading curriculum (Halperin, W. A. (2011a). Project 50 preschool manual. South Haven, MI: Drawing Children Into Reading. Retrieved from www.drawingchildrenintoreading.com ). Although teachers and families reported observing improvement in handwriting and pencil grips, step-by-step drawing instruction was not necessarily the catalyst for such improvement. The author discusses the implications for early childhood educators and provides strategies for handwriting instruction to support students' overall writing development. Handwriting instruction for early elementary students is a necessity because it impacts students' reading and writing development. Teachers should begin with drawing lessons that lead to handwriting instruction, which must include explicit teaching of letter naming and letter formation, while providing encouragement for appropriate pencil grip. Legibility and writing fluency improve with continued handwriting instruction and practice, which impact the quality and quantity of students' writing.