The Benefits of Learning to Draw

The Benefits of Learning to Draw Why Learning How to Draw is so Important for Youngsters ChaptersThe Evolution of a Child’s DrawingsHow Drawing Benefits KidsPromoting Your Child’s Development through DrawingThe Beginnings of WritingFrom around the age of 18 months, tots love to scribble!Bit by bit, their drawings evolve to be more complex and thought-out. However, drawing is more than just an amusing activity â€" it plays a big role in a child’s development.As the years pass, children learn to properly use a pencil and drawing becomes easier.So, how do you help the little ones to progress artistically?Why is it important to let children draw?Colouring books are a good place to start, but there really is nothing better than a simple sheet of A4 and a selection of wax crayons to get them thinking creatively.So, what are the benefits of drawing lessons for kids?more controlled.In their own time, each child learns how to grip objects, move them and put them into their mouth, and this is all before they learn to hold a pencil and start creating their own works of art!Th is step is essential to any child’s development.Between the ages of 12 and 18 months, children are already capable of holding a pencil. And naturally, they start scribbling with anything they find!Scribbling helps children practice their fine motor skills and learn to control and coordinate their movements.As children become more mature, more thought goes into their work ¦ source: Pixabay - SkitterphotoFrom the age of 2, these scribbles start to take form and begin to look like proper drawings!At this age, children stop making spirals and through practicing  their pencil drawing, their shapes become more precise. They also get into the natural habit of drawing from left to right. As their muscles and imagination develop, children learn to move their art tools according to their vision of what they wish to draw.At the age of 4, art becomes more intentional for children, as they begin to act on their creative vision of a final piece. This is the point at which children start to att empt representing what they know in real life in their sketches.They start with the basic shapes that make up people, then go into further detail to draw faces.Children’s drawings evolve most dramatically during their primary school years, as they learn how to draw people and how to draw faces more realistically.Their first attempts at drawing people usually begin with child-like circles (to represent the torso, which has a face on it) and sticks (for the limbs).After this stage, the child adds a second circle which represents the head, and they may even add other details such as a neck, hair, eyes and feet, but it isn’t until the age of 6 that they begin to draw their stick figures wearing clothes.These steps in the evolution of drawing are common among the majority of the population, and show a progression in a child’s ability to reproduce what they see. Over the course of a few years, they go from sketching the idea of how something looks to them, to understanding space and representing real people more realistically.Before the age of 7, children may struggle with proportion in their drawings. This is due to their under-developed perspective on the real world, and is the reason that children may start  drawing houses with the occupants inside, as if the walls are transparent.So, scribbles turn into simple shapes as children learn to outline what they draw, and their free drawing becomes far more detailed as they learn about shading techniques, cross hatching, figure drawing, shadows, perspective drawing, digital drawing, rendering, textures, drawing freehand, negative space, realistic drawing, expressive emotion, charcoal drawing, cartooning, acrylic painting, realism, ink drawing, drawing portraits, still life drawing and gesture drawing.How Drawing Benefits KidsWould you like to know what happens in drawing lessons, and possibly even sign up to a sketch workshop?Drawing is an essential activity for young children, and it has many advantages. You can even find drawing lessons online now. Learn about drawing lessons on the web here.Offering children age-appropriate drawing materials and step-by-step drawing tutorials for creating their own art (such as graphite and colored pencils, charcoal, crayons, oil pastels, watercolor paint, pen and ink) will encourage them to learn to perfect their technique and develop as an artist.Drawing and painting promote:Cognitive Development: The child uses their own knowledge to aid the creation of their artwork, meaning that drawing stimulates observational skills and helps in the development of their brain.Coordination skills: By drawing geometric shapes, children learn to control the pencil as they aim towards a specific goal in how their picture should look.Fine motor skills: As a more specific part of coordination, the child learns to draw things in greater detail and can fit more elements into a limited drawing space.Learning to control a pencil lays the foundations for learning to write ¦ source: Pixabay - StockSnapDeveloping their personality: The child learns to express themselves through their art as they test different methods and find out what works best for them. You may notice these variations as their work evolves, and notice certain trends when they’re upset or particularly happy, as this could be expressed in their art.Developing their creativity: Drawing is a way to not only represent real-life people and objects, but to bring your imagination into reality. Children’s drawings usually have fantastical stories behind them â€" and if you’ve ever asked a child about what they’ve drawn, you’ll be well aware of this. What children don’t always realise, though, is that some people may see a different scene in their drawing to the one they intended. Listening to the opinions of others will broaden the child’s creative outlook and understanding of their own artistic skills.Expressing their emotions: Art provides an outlet for children to express the mselves without using words. Their creations are, therefore, likely to reflect their emotions and their state-of-mind through their use of colour and their choice of scene.Drawing is great for a child’s development as well as for their parents, who may use drawing as a way to better get to know their child through trying to understand why they express their art in such a way and how confident their child is.Promoting Your Child’s Development through DrawingHave you been encouraging your child to get creative by showing them how to use different media?If so, this can only be a good thing!It’s important that children feel able to experiment with different methods of creating art â€" after all, art is a form of play for kids, so they will be far more likely to want to get involved if you give them colourful drawing tools to work with. There are even some digital drawing resources out there for the little ones.Bear in mind that drawing should always be a fun activity, and if child ren don’t want to participate, their decision should be respected.Children shouldn’t have to draw things they don’t want to just because an adult tells them to do so.In general, very few children get bored of drawing, however, should this happen, there is no reason to worry.Parents should also let their children draw whenever they want to. Here are a few other rules you should abide by when it comes to encouraging your child to draw:Let them choose what they’d like to drawAdmire their finished workWrite the child’s name on their workAsk them to describe what they have drawnWith a healthy level of encouragement and support of their ideas, you’ll quickly see their art develop.Learning to paint is complementary to drawing and is equally as valuable.  If their interest in art continues, you can think about taking them to drawing lessons.Teach your child about all the materials they could use to draw! ¦ source: Pixabay - fietzfotosYoungsters love channelling their inner Van Gogh and drawing with a paintbrush.They enjoy painting with their hands, sponges and potato stamps even more!Building models also helps to develop children’s manual skills.It’s not difficult to see how creating art through drawing, painting and sculpting helps your child to grow in creativity and confidence.The Beginnings of WritingSimple drawing is an essential step towards learning to write.As they move through their sketchbook and their drawing progresses, children learn to create different types of lines. They begin with 2-dimensional shapes before moving onto curves, waves and spirals â€" which all help pave the way towards writing the alphabet.Shortly after their drawing skills develop this way, the artist learns to write capital letters and their name.Further down the line, after having mastered the capital and lower-case alphabet, children move onto cursive writing.This is why it is so important that the child is taught how to correctly grip their pencil. As long as pare nts and teachers are attentive to this, the child will be able to easily learn the right movements to form letters.Children in the UK usually learn to read and write at the age of 4, and this is an interesting point in every child’s learning.Some children almost abandon drawing once they learn to read, whereas others hold onto their passion for expressing themselves this way â€" it’s down to the personal interests of the child.As children get older, they learn progress from drawing lessons for beginners, start to perfect their drawing techniques and to produce even more complex and successful works.So, drawing lessons and art instruction can be an exciting and fulfilling extra-curricular activity for many children!Take an art class with Superprof's great drawing class London, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and all over the UK.

How to Prepare Your Child for the Middle School Transition

How to Prepare Your Child for the Middle School Transition Transitioning from the elementary classroom to middle school can be challenging or simple, depending on your students school. Your child may simply move to a different classroom or floor in the building, or may attend a new school altogether.If they will be attending a new school you may want to take a look at these tips on how to help your child transition to a new school.Regardless, the middle school transition is one to be mindful of as your child assumes more ownership of his or her learning. Here are a number of ways to prepare your student for the new stage in his or her education: Learn about technological resources In todays classroom, technology is increasingly utilized to expand academic learning. Students turn to computersand occasionally tabletsto complete research, locate resources, submit assignments, and communicate with teachers and other students. Encourage your child to learn about the computer systems and online platforms present in the school. Here is some great information about the future of technology in education. Certain schools have online portals where announcements or assignments are posted, while others may publish grade reports or syllabi online. Practice navigating these resources with your student, and encourage him or her to ask questions if he or she is unsure how to use them. Studentscan work with teachers, tutors, or other trusted administrators for this purpose. Encourage the use of a planner or calendar While your child may already be familiar with assignment notebooks, this organizational device is even more essential in the middle school years; middle school students often have a different teacher for each subject. Speak with your child about writing assignments down neatly and regularly. It may be helpful for some students to have a large calendar at home to record important dates or to color code by subject. It will be far easier for your child to manage both short- and long-term assignments if you first determine which methods work for him or her. Organize materials and supplies In addition to using a planner, assist your student with organizing his or her materials and supplies. He or she will likely move between multiple classrooms during the school day, so organization is key to success in the middle school transition. Which textbooks must be carried between school and home? Is there a system, such as binders or folders, already in place at school? Where does your child store completed homework or unfinished assignments? What about tests or important papers to be signed by you? Clearly labeled materials and color coordination may also benefit students. Now is the time for your child to develop the organizational skills that will be so crucial in high school and college. Consider extracurriculars and community service In middle school, greater emphasis is placed on extracurricular activities such as clubs and sports teams. Students may wish to run for office, such as president or secretary of their class, or they may wish to deepen an interest in the arts. These activities promote leadership skills and positive social experiences, but they, of course, consume time. Help your child plan an after-school routine that appropriately balances both academic and extracurricular engagements. These are some great tips on how to choose extracurricular activities in middle school. Additionally, schools sometimes require the completion of community service hours. Have your student find out the details of this requirement including how many hours are necessary, where he or she can serve, and by when his or her community service must be completed. Taking extracurricular activities and community service into account will facilitate the middle school transition and make for a well-rounded education. The middle schools years are a time of growth and independence. Prepare your child for the years ahead by fostering his or her various skill sets now.

Is your child a STAAR Test first timer Heres how you can help them

Is your child a STAAR Test first timer Here’s how you can help them 0SHARESShare STAAR Test is round the corner. Most schools have already started taking the tests. In such a scenario, it’s the parents who have to play an important role in helping their children succeed. Here are some tips for all parents out there, on how to help your child score good grades in the STAAR Test: Make your kids understand the importance of STAAR. Talk to them about what the test is all about, what they can expect in the test and how is it different from normal routine tests. Go through some sample tests and see what kind of questions is awaiting your child.   If you have a fair idea about the type of questions, your child will obviously feel relaxed. Always support your child. Simply telling them that they make you proud and they will make can bring about a big change in their performance. Get in touch with some online tutoring websites. Online tutoring can help your child perform better in the STAAR Test. Moreover, you can also be relieved about their preparation. [starbox id=admin]

Start the Semester Organized with These 5 Tips

Start the Semester Organized with These 5 Tips The beginning of a new semester can be overwhelming: the whirlwind of classes, new classmates and professors, and the start of assignments and long-term projects. You can help minimize the stress by organizing yourself, your materials, and space before classes begin. Start the semester organized with these five tips: 1. Create a daily/weekly schedule Once youve finalized your class schedule, create a timesheet either on your computer or by hand that shows when and where your classes are. It can be helpful to have a visual representation showing the blocks of time you must set aside, so you can easily see which days will be your busiest and how to plan ahead. If you like, block out periods of study time, as well as extracurricular and personal activities like working out or attending a club meeting. Print this sheet or have it easily accessible on your computer. When you need to schedule an appointment with a professor or hang out with a friend, youll be able to easily see what times work best for you, helping you to manage your time as a whole. 2. Decide on a planner There are so many different ways tostart the semester organized, but it helps many visual students to use a planner. Think about what youve used in the past, and decide what organizational system you want to use this semester. Consider the calendar app on your phone or computer, a wall calendar, an assignment notebook, or planner. Take advantage of alarms and alerts you can set on your phone, as well as stickynotes or little notebooks in which you can write down to-do lists. Make sure you have a place to list important dates, events, and meetings, in addition to email addresses, phone numbers, and assignments to complete. 3. Buy supplies and books One of the more fun beginning-of-the-year activities from childhood is buying school supplies. Make sure you do that as an older student as well. Go to the store and purchase notebooks, binders, folders, writing utensils, and organizational tools for your desk. You might be able to repurpose old notebooks or folders from previous years. Additionally, be sure to purchase or rent all of the books and texts required for the semester. The campus bookstore shouldhave the books you need, but if you like, you can sometimes find cheaper copies online. 4. Organize your room and desk space At the beginning of the year, take time to organize your room and desk space. This includes designating places for supplies like notebook paper, handouts you receive from class, writing utensils, staplers, tape, etc. Youll want to look into desktop storage options, like bookends, mini drawer sets, letter trays, file shelves, or cup organizers. If you know where your materialsare, you shouldhave more time for actual studying. 5. Make a list of important contacts Be sure to keep a list of contact information close at hand. This can be of individual people, but also of important places on campus, like the career center, the health center, the writing center, tech support, and your department of study. Before your semester starts, decide how you want to organize both your physical space and your mind. This way, you should be more mentally preparedfor busier and more stressful weeks. Dont forget that you can reevaluate what has been working for you along the way and tweak as needed.

English Classes with TED How to Hold Your Breath, in English

English Classes with TED How to Hold Your Breath, in English We continue our English Classes with TED this week with a video featuring David Blaine, the world famous magician. In April of 2008, David Blaine set a world record for holding his breath using a method that allows someone to oxygenate his or her body before holding his/her breath. Blaine held his breath for 17 minutes.David Blaine, according to TED:Called a modern-day Houdini by The New York Times, David Blaine made himself a household name with TV special David Blaine: Street Magic shedding the sweeping glitz and drama of other TV magic programs in favor of a simple premise: illusions done right on the street, in front of handheld cameras and speechless passersby.With Buried Alive, Blaine was entombed underground for seven days in a transparent plastic coffin, visible to gawking pedestrians above, setting off a new trend in his performance career: the endurance stunt. The pursuit led to other spectacles featuring cramped spaces and extreme conditions: Frozen in Time, which saw him encased in a block of ice for almost three days, and Vertigo, where he stood atop a 100-foot pillar for 35 hours.Blaines stunts continue to draw immense crowds and Nielsen ratings to match, but his appearance on Oprah was perhaps most stunning, when he broke the Guinness world record for breath-holding, staying underwater for 17 minutes and 4.5 seconds.For TED Blaine told the story of how was able to accomplish this stunt, after a series of setbacks. Watch the video below subtitled in your native language if youre an English beginner, with English subtitles if youre intermediate, and no subtitles if youre advanced.What two things does Blaine say he tries to do as a magician?What did he do in April of 1999 in New York City for a week?What did he see in his hallucinations during his 36-hour stunt in New York City?What did they do to David to tempt him while he was in the box in London?What was Blaine obsessed with from a young age?As a magician, he thinks that __________ __ _____ __.How did his doctor tell him to hold his breath for a long time?Did it work?What was the craziest idea of all Blaines plans for holding his breath?What is static apnea?What was his critical mistake at the Lincoln Center?Where did he go to finally break the record?What did he think was happening when he was under water, about to break the record?What question did the kid ask him after he came out of the Apple store?What does Blaine say magic is to him?Would you like to take a class based on this or other TED videos? Want to know the answers to these questions? Contact us.

Do or Make The Rules and a lot of Exceptions.

Do or Make The Rules and a lot of Exceptions. One of the most confusing pairs of words for people learning English is do and make. In many languages, these are one word, like hacer in Spanish. But in English, these concepts are split into two words, and the exact difference between them isnt always clear.Heres a video on Do or Make. Below the video youll find a written explanation, and exercisesWe make phone calls. For some reason.In general, we use do with work. For instance: do a job, do homework, do work.We typically use make to talk about producing or creating something new. For instance: make a cake, make music, make art.Also, we typically do things with our minds (like math) but we make things with our hands (like a cake). Again this is typical, but there are plenty of exceptions.The problem for people learning English is that there are a lot of expressions that use do or make, that break these rules. So here is a short list of them to help you.Expressions with Makemake the bed, make food, make dinner, make coffee, make mo ney, make a plan, make a living, make arrangements, make an excuse, make up your mind, make progress, make a suggestion, make a decision, make sense, make a call, make a promise, make a difference, make noise, make an effort, make an agreementExpressions with Dodo a job, do a favor, do an assignment, do exercise, How are you doing?, How do you do? do business, do badly, do well, do housework, do the ironing, do the dishes, do an exercise, do something overExercises: Fill in the GapWho ___ dinner tonight?Did you ___ your homework?I ____ a lot of money at my old job.We sometimes fight over who has to ___ the dishes.I ___ 100 sit ups yesterday.Lets ___ pizza for dinner tonight.I ___ really good coffee.What did you ___ today?What does he ___ at his job?The president has to ____ difficult decisions.You can write your answers in comments, and we will respond. luz Who  make___ dinner tonight?Did you __do_ your homework?I _make___ a lot of money at my old job.We sometimes fight of who has to _do__ the dishes.I _made__ 100 sit ups yesterday.Let’s _make__ pizza for dinner tonight.I _make__ really good coffee.What did you _do__ today?What does he _do__ at his job?The president has to __make__ difficult decisions. LOIEnglish Very good Luz! The only problem is with the tense of make in your first sentence.   Ana Lucia Diaz Hill make- do- made-do-made-make-do-do-do-make SkypeEnglishClasses Good Ana! The first one should be past tense: made, number 5 is did, and 7 is do. Magno I dont understand very :/ Hugo Who makes___ dinner tonight?Did you do___ your homework?I made____ a lot of money at my old job.We sometimes fight over who has to make___ the dishes.I do___ 100 sit ups yesterday.Let’s make___ pizza for dinner tonight.I make___ really good coffee.What did you do___ today?What does he do___ at his job?The president has to make____ difficult decisions. Anh makes do made do made made make do do do susana gonzalez Who MAKES dinner tonight? Did you DO yo ur homework? I MADE a lot of money at my old job. We sometimes fight over who has to DO the dishes. I DID 100 sit ups yesterday. Let’s MAKE pizza for dinner tonight. I MAKE really good coffee. What did you DO today? What does he DO at his job? The president has to MAKE difficult decisions. LOIEnglish Perfect! Fernando Molina Who make dinner tonight? Did you do you homework? I made a lot of money at my old job. We sometimes fight over who as to do the dishes. I did 100 sit ups yesterday.

5 Ways to Cope With Saying Goodbye

5 Ways to Cope With Saying Goodbye Separation anxiety is not a far cry from what many parents experience when a child leaves for university. It's normal to feel ill at ease about a child moving away from home, no matter how far. Learn how to cope with saying goodbye by following these 5 steps: 1. Prepare him or her for the big day For many parents, seeing their child through the university preparation process helps. When parents feel their student has what he or she needs to succeed, whether it's a laundry basket or a part-time job, it's easier for them to relax about him or her being away from home. Go shopping with your child for dorm room essentials, and be there when they move in if at all possible. 2. Keep communicating Thanks to texting and social media outlets, staying in touch with your child is far easier now than in the past. Technology allows for instant communication and also face-to-face interaction through mediums like FaceTime, which can take the edge off missing someone. So keep all the lines open, whether you're texting or using online platforms like Skype or Facebook to touch base. 3. Repurpose your home space There's no need to run out and completely alter your child's bedroom, but repurposing some of his or her space to a minimal degree might help you adjust to seeing your child less often. Turning the room into a temporary guest space or storage area may help you transition the space away from being permanently theirs. Simply giving your child's bedroom a deep cleaning can make a huge difference in how positively you view the space once it's empty. 4. Keep yourself busy It sounds clich, but staying occupied with activities of your own while your son or daughter is away from home can help when you're missing him or her. Surround yourself with supportive friends, including others with children off at university. Having a support network and weekly social commitments can help you cope with your child being gone. 5. Look to your other children Focus your energies on other children living at home. With each child that goes away to university, you may find it easier to cope with saying goodbye. If you don't have other children, consider other ways to be nurturing, whether through walking dogs at your local shelter or supporting a child in need overseas. Find your own coping mechanisms for this new transition. When you next see your child, you'll have so many new things to share with each other.

Tips From an Irvine Private Tutor Stress and Finals

Tips From an Irvine Private Tutor Stress and Finals Tips From an Irvine Private Tutor: Avoiding Stress During Finals Students are incredibly relieved  to realize all of their AP exams are over and that the ACT and SAT are in the bag for the spring (assuming they received the score they were hoping for). However, once students have had a bit of a rest, they remember that finals are on the horizon. It isn’t over until the end of June and it’s important that  students maintain a low level of stress (if possible) to ensure success during finals as well as a healthy and happy life in general. Why not use technology to fight undue stress and anxiety? Students are using technology to study all day long as it is. There are some great  anti-stress apps out there to help motivated, but overwhelmed, students stay relaxed during these final weeks of school (READ: 10 Reasons You Need a Summer Irvine Private Tutor). 1. Calm.com Aptly named, Calm.com helps students, and their parents, stay  rejuvenated  and rested during long-haul study sessions. Users can choose from a mixture of backgrounds including soothing raindrops, ocean waves, and floating clouds.  Students who are in need of a zone-out session can simply stare at the screen and listen to the  soothing  sounds of the rainforest, while super stressed users can choose the guided meditation function. Recommended study  break  plan: Start with the 2-minute guided meditation option after arriving home from school in order to separate classroom study from at-home  study. Proceed to take a break every hour and continue with the 2-minute guided meditation until the end of the study session.  A nice feature on Calm.com is the ability to complete the meditation in just 2 minutes, making it a reasonable break time.  Students who work late into the evening are encouraged to use the 5-minute guided meditation feature  to help them focus away from the blue light on their screen and relax them off to sleep. A well-rested student is more likely to  perform successfully at school. 2. Breathe2Relax Another great anti-stress app is Breathe2Relax. This particular app helps students calm down when they become overwhelmed with test prep or when they are attempting to cram for finals. Many people start to breathe too quickly or even skip breaths here and there when they are not mindful of their stress levels; this particular app can help get students back on track. Whether a student takes a 5-minute break every 30 minutes to an hour to simply breathe, or if they plug in their headphones and use the app for the entirety of their study session, healthy breathing can help students power through long amounts of homework or test preparation. Recommended study break plan: students who are studying for exams will often become overwhelmed with the thought of the subject matter at hand. Additionally, students may feel overwhelmed from the time they wake up in the morning until they finish their final exams in the afternoon. Students can use the app throughout their studies or they can listen to it in the car ride to school (assuming theyre not driving) for 2 minutes or so prior to the actual exam. Students who are less anxious are more likely to remember important material and do well on their tests. 3. White Noise Students who are studying late into the evening will often have trouble falling asleep. Its very rare for a student to finish studying at 10 p.m. and then be asleep by 10:15. These stresses during finals coupled with looking at a computer screen late at night will generally make it difficult for a student, or anyone, to fall asleep straight away, preventing them from getting those all-important 8 hours. Students who need to fall asleep fast but still have their mind on final examinations can use an app such as White Noise. Students can choose from a number of different sounds such as ocean waves, stream water, or even an air conditioner to help them fall asleep. Users dont have to worry about listening to the lovely sounds of the ocean for an entire 8 hours because they can easily set the app to shut off after a certain amount of time. Bottom Line Although studying, especially in high school, is a huge part of a students life, its important that they maintain good health and happiness throughout their final examination study journey. Taking a few minutes here and there to relax, re-center, or rest is a great way to aid in an overall study/life balance. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.