Describe Your Drawing
Here's What To Do
Encourage and support your child’s drawing throughout the day and during play.
Help them to understand that their drawings are important by asking questions about what they’re drawing.
Ask open-ended questions that encourage them to tell you about the drawing instead of telling them what you think their drawing is about.
They can also use gestures to help them answer too.
Put PEER Into Action
Pause:
- Help your child get excited about drawing by allowing them to choose drawing materials and paper they like. Then, place them in a location that is easily accessible for them.
Engage:
- “Tell me about your drawing please.”
- “Why did you want to draw ___?”
Encourage:
- Ask guiding or simple questions to help your child answer.
- “What colors did you use?” “You said you drew ___ and ___. Can you point to the ___?”
Reflect:
- “What do you want to draw next?”
Not quite ready?
Draw with your child and describe what you are doing and what you notice them doing to help them understand how to describe what they are doing. “We are drawing lots of circles round and round.”
Ready for more?
Ask more detailed questions about your child’s drawing, without telling them what you think they drew. “What else do you want to add to your drawing? How will you draw that?”
As your child masters this skill...
They will answer questions about their drawings, and spontaneously name what they’re drawing.