Brain and learning: drawing for kids
How drawing helps kids think, remember, plan and get ready for reading and math. 17 posts, each with an activity to try and one of Kevin Coulston’s drawing books.
- Does Drawing Help Kids Remember What They Learn?Drawing something helps kids remember it better than writing it down. Here's why the drawing effect works and how to use it for homework and play.
- How Drawing Builds Spatial Reasoning in ChildrenSpatial reasoning is a key skill for math and science. Learn how drawing, especially grid drawing, helps kids understand size, position and shape.
- Drawing and Math: The Hidden Link for Young KidsDrawing and math use the same building blocks: shape, size, symmetry and counting. See how drawing time supports early math skills at home.
- How Drawing Gets Kids Ready to ReadDrawing gets young children ready to read by building letter shapes, left-to-right habits and storytelling. Try these playful pre-reading drawing ideas.
- Drawing Builds Vocabulary: Talk Through Every PictureDrawing gives kids something to talk about, and talking builds vocabulary. Learn how to turn every drawing into a rich conversation with your child.
- Drawing and Executive Function: Planning on PaperExecutive function means planning, focus and self-control. See how drawing a detailed character trains kids to plan ahead and finish what they start.
- Spot the Pattern: How Drawing Trains Kids' EyesKids who draw learn to spot patterns in shapes, colors and repeats. Here's how pattern recognition through drawing supports math, reading and logic.
- First, Next, Last: Drawing Teaches SequencingStep-by-step drawing teaches kids sequencing: first, next, last. Learn why sequencing matters for reading, math and following routines, and how to practise it.
- Visual Thinking: Why Kids Who Draw Think in PicturesSome kids think in pictures. Learn what visual thinking is, how drawing helps every child organize ideas, and how to support a picture-thinker at home.
- Drawing Like a Scientist: Observation for KidsScientists draw what they see. Learn how drawing teaches kids to observe closely, ask questions and record details, with sea creatures as a fun start.
- Why Drawing Belongs in STEM (Hello, STEAM)STEM needs creative problem solvers, and that's why it became STEAM. See how drawing supports engineering, design and science thinking in kids.
- Drawing and Critical Thinking: Kids Asking WhyDrawing mash-up creatures makes kids ask why and what if. See how drawing builds critical thinking, decision making and reasoning in children.
- What Happens in a Child's Brain When They DrawWhat happens in the brain when children draw? A plain-English guide to how drawing connects seeing, thinking, moving and feeling as kids grow.
- Can Drawing Stretch a Short Attention Span?Short attention span? Drawing can help kids practise focus in small, satisfying chunks. Try these tips for building attention one drawing at a time.
- Drawing and Working Memory: Holding a Picture in MindWorking memory lets kids hold information in mind while they use it. Learn how grid drawing exercises it and why that helps with school tasks.
- Drawing Maps: Geography Skills From a PencilDrawing maps teaches kids direction, scale and how places connect. Try these map-drawing activities, from a bedroom map to an alien planet.
- What If I Change the Eyes? Drawing and Cause and EffectChange the eyebrows and the whole face changes. Drawing faces shows kids cause and effect in action. Try these experiments with silly faces.