New activities added April 8, 2001. Visit Page 2 Now Don't need convincing, go straight to Writing and Art activities. When everyone needs a break from using picture books to teach narrative writing , make writing fun for both teacher and students by adding an art component to some of your writing activities. Students need to practice the kind of writing required for state testing programs, but there are many ways to prepare them for the test and help them acquire the skills they need.
Art is a natural activity to accompany writing for several reasons.
The developmental stages of each process parallel each other from the time a child begins to scribble until he or she is able to organize written vocabulary into stories and visual images into pictures. The creative thinking that structures a storyline is the same thinking that structures a work of art. Preparation for any topic in writing or art should be established through a discussion of who, what, when, where, and how or why. She believes that drawing provides additional information to words for a visual learner, and words can add additional information to pictures for a verbal learner. One informs the other, and a child switches the processes back and forth to gather detailed information for carrying out ideas.