I have an artist in my home. He draws all the time. Drawing helps him communicate and express his creativity. But he is not a big fan of handwriting practice. So when I found the Draw Write Now books I had hopes that this would get him more interested in handwriting lessons. And it has, because the Draw Write Now books incorporate drawing and handwriting into each lesson.
Draw Write Now is a series of eight books. It is recommended to start with Book 1 and then go in any order you choose after that. We began with Book 1 last year and will use one that coincides with our history curriculum for the upcoming school year. There are a variety of topics to choose from:
- Book 1 – On the Farm / Kids & Critters / Storybook Characters
- Book 2 – Christopher Columbus / Autumn Harvest / The Weather
- Book 3 – Native Americans / North America / The Pilgrims
- Book 4 – The Polar Regions / The Arctic / The Antarctic
- Book 5 – The United States / From Sea to Sea / Moving Forward
- Book 6 – Animals and Habitats / On Land / Ponds and Rivers / Oceans
- Book 7 – Animals of the World Part I / Tropical Forests / Northern Forests / Forests Down Under
- Book 8 – Animals of the World Part II / Savannas, Grasslands, Mountains, and Deserts
The drawing portion of each lesson is step by step. Each step highlights the new lines to be added to the drawing. When students complete the drawing instruction, they can use their own imagination to complete the picture. Your child may need some help getting started with these lessons, but they can also work through these independently.
The handwriting portion includes simple text related to the drawing. It is shown on guided lines just like any handwriting lesson so they can see how to properly form and space the letters and punctuation.
We use the Draw Write Now Workbook for our lessons. It contains blank pages to use for each lesson. One side of the page is for the drawing and the facing page is for the handwriting. This is helpful for us because it keeps me organized with all of his Draw Write Now lessons in one place. I don’t have to track down separate drawing paper and lined paper for him to complete the lessons. But you could easily use something else you have on hand. I just find the workbook keeps us organized and efficient.
Although my first grader still doesn’t love handwriting, I’m trying to help him see it as its own art form. When he writes clearly, and we can read the story that goes with the picture, he is pleased with the end result. It just takes continued practice and encouragement. And the Draw Write Now books have helped change our handwriting lessons from struggles to something he looks forward to. He just asked me if we could get all eight Draw Write Now books!
For more information, visit the Draw Write Now site. There you can also find free downloadable sample lessons. Also check out these other Curriculum Choice reviews of Draw Write Now.
In summary: I highly recommend the Draw Write Now books for handwriting and drawing instruction. It is a great tool for helping students fine tune their handwriting skills while enjoying the artistic side of illustrating what they are writing about.
~ Written by Amy Matkovich who blogs at A Journey of Purpose about striving to live the life God has intended through homeschooling, living life simply and healthy, and parenting.
Yes, this program is a joy. We did not use it as a handwriting program, but my girls enjoyed the artwork for our native American studies.
Annie Kate, I think my son has been more excited about starting a new Draw Write Now book than anything else in our homeschool this week. He would love to do just the drawing, and sometimes I let him, but we have to get some handwriting practice in too.