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I was so thrilled today when my 11 yo ds brought me his sarcophagus (mummy coffin) and said, " Look, Mom, I'm getting better." Starting out the first few weeks of Preparing, he was hesitant and often discouraged by his drawings. He would say that he didn't want to do them, but I am so glad I didn't give in and say, "Okay, you can skip that." He is now seeing that the more he does it and practices, the better he gets.

He struggles in many areas in school, and anytime he can see progress himself as a result of practice and effort on his part, that is a big win for him (and for me).

I just wanted to encourage anyone who may be wondering if it's worth the effort to push them to do the drawing. Don't give up and don't give in. You will see progress and so will they, and it will be worth it.

RuthAnn

The same story here in this house...my kids have really gotten quite good. I'm so glad that we didn't give up and my husband and I just kept encouraging them. Now, they are both so proud when they've completed something and see how well they've done!


Stephanie

that's wonderful!

I am so happy for you and for your son for his progress. I think the drawing in Preparing really does help even those who feel artistically challenged. It really has helped my dc too. Way to go!

RuthAnn,

Thanks so much for taking time to post about your son's progress! My third little guy is challenged in the drawing area too, and the beginning drawings in Preparing took him quite awhile also. I am excited to see his progress as we move forward.

Blessings,
Carrie

Same story here- my ds (10) was often in tears at the beginning of Preparing and really struggled with the drawing even though he normally likes to draw a bit. So my husband and I had to "baby" him along for the first week, drawing right with him and coaching/encouraging him. After that, I started teaching my dd too as well as some co-op group subjects, so my ds had to carry on on his own more. It didn't take too long before he was confidently wanting to show off his notebook as well as sometimes adding a few details to his drawings. I'm so pleased at his progress, and can use it as an example to him of how he CAN do it with the Lord's help (hopefully language class is next!).

My son, also in Preparing, also struggles in the area of drawing. So would I!
So, I chose to buy tracing paper and let him trace the drawings from the book. This keeps him from becoming discouraged, and it gets the job done for notebooking.

That is great for your ds. I am sure that is very encouraging for you and for him.

When we first started with Preparing when my ds was 10 the drawing was very tough for him also. With his Cerebral Palsy and shaky hands drawing was not something he had ever done much of. With Draw and Write Thru History I let him trace at first, but kept encouraging him to try it on his own. By the time he got to CTC he challenged himself to do the drawings without tracing. Now Draw and Write is one of his favorite things to do each year. One other just neat thing is that when he was tested by a neuropsychologist all his fine motor skills were way below age level with the exception of drawing! The doctor couldn't explain it. I told him it was because the curriculum we used required him to draw quite a bit.

My ds is almost 9 and today he drew Moses. He is always very critical in his own work, but I can see improvement. We won't give up! Even if the drawings aren't perfect, they will be sweet treasures to look back on one day.

Also, unless he just slops one down or hurries through it, I never have him do it over or correct it in any way. The work is his own and he knows that whatever he does will be "good enough" as long as he tries.