Trivium Academy Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 We're about to start this and I've marked a few lessons but I'm a little intimidated, :001_smile:. It would be nice to hear that someone has successfully worked through this! If not, I'm stubborn enough to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kim.4dogs Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 We haven't yet, but I'm going to give it another try this year. I love the concept! My daughter took one Monart class and I was impressed with what she did. I wish we could take more, but the class is an hour away, so I'm going to give the book a try myself again this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Have you seen some of the lesson plans that are floating around for the book? I don't know if I still know where they are, but maybe you already have them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 My mother has been working through this with my girls, although I know she has made changes to a few of the exercises, and has added some of her own. They all three sit down together and all do the exercises (including my mother). They discuss and compare and critique their work - what worked well, what might be have been done differently, etc - and have a wonderful time. Best wishes, Lydia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Sorry, but I haven't worked through it either. I just thought I'd post the lesson plans that I (think) I intend to use this year. I haven't started, though. We'll start Art this Friday. http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/dwclp.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
periwinkle Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 twice! Once with my 2 olders, and then again with my 2 youngers. It does take a little preparation time on the teacher's part, but I think it is worth it. Yes, the lesson plans someone wrote up (from this forum, maybe?) are helpful. Are they on Paula's Archives? I'll go check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
periwinkle Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 twice! Once with my 2 olders, and then again with my 2 youngers. It does take a little preparation time on the teacher's part, but I think it is worth it. Yes, the lesson plans someone wrote up (from this forum, maybe?) are invaluable. Are they on Paula's Archives? I'll go check. Yes, I found them! Here's the link: http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/dwclp.htm Of course, I tweaked them a bit, like I do everything I use, but they provide a good foundation for getting this done. Oops, sorry for the repeat...I see Momofonefunone beat me to it (boy, that's a mouthful of a name, lol!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivium Academy Posted August 6, 2008 Author Share Posted August 6, 2008 Yeah, I need to sit down and really take a look at those. I started penciling in the book what I considered would be good sessions but I've only marked 10 so far which is 5 weeks for us. Barb has some lessons too that tie DWC with nature study (http://harmonyartmom.blogspot.com/ on the left sidebar). Decisions, decisions! I just needed to hear that someone has used this book successfully as motivation and inspiration. It would be so easy to just look for something more laid out but then I have this book. Plus, goodness if we could draw like the samples in the book by the end, I think it's worth it! Thanks all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloha2U Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 I haven't used Drawing with Children yet either, but I plan to in the future. I know I bookmarked this somewhere along the line and maybe it can be a little help as well. I just bookmarked the other one posted above for future reference. Awesome! Drawing with Children: Nature Journal Style Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoraida Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Yes, I worked through the book several years ago when my children were younger. It's a very good program. You might want to read through the first couple of lessons yourself before you start the program with your kids. Once you understand what is expected it is easy to implement each lesson. I don't really think the online lesson plans that are out there are really necessary once you get a feel for the book. I believe that Donnayoung.org at one time had exercise sheets that you could print out to go with DWC. Blessings Zoraida Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
periwinkle Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Donna Young's site has additional practice exercise sheets available: http://www.donnayoung.org/art/draw1.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 We're about to start this and I've marked a few lessons but I'm a little intimidated, :001_smile:. It would be nice to hear that someone has successfully worked through this! If not, I'm stubborn enough to try. That stubbornness is what kept me going. We just started lesson 4 (and we've been working through this book for about two years off and on now) a few weeks ago. I read that lesson over, and found that I was thinking, "Hey, I'm starting to see the overall picture of this book and it isn't that hard!" I really like it. I just have taken several years to work through it, that's all. I'm nowhere close to tackling Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain yet. And that's alright with me! :) Go for it, it's fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa M Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Using DWC is much like any other curriculum - if often comes down to our personalities and learning styles as to whether we like and use a curriculum. I haven't been very successful with it. I'm a Type A-math-logical-puzzles-driver-analytical type. I can't do ABSTRACT! It was really hard for me to do the lessons. We made it through a few of them and the kids had a good time, but I don't feel like they actually learned anything they could take with them outside the lesson time. Probably because we didn't keep going through the whole book. We made it to the lesson on the tropical birds. I just found it laborious to tell them where to draw each little element to end up with Mona Brooks' graphic version of an animal that doesn't look anything like a real animal. I just couldn't get what she was teaching. Because it wasn't easy for me to use, art just didn't happen. However, I LOVE the 5 elements of shape. Very logical:-) We're going back to How Great Thou Art (with VIDEOS! I don't have to teach it:-) We used it briefly about four years ago, and my two older children still have a great grasp of color mixing, perspective, and texture just from the few lessons we did. A program I will use is better than the perfect program sitting on a shelf! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
materursa Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 However, I LOVE the 5 elements of shape. Very logical:-) Could you share a link for this? Thanks, Amanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivium Academy Posted August 7, 2008 Author Share Posted August 7, 2008 Too funny Colleen!! :rofl: "It isn't that hard...just have taken several years to work through it..." Lol. That IS stubbornness! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivium Academy Posted August 7, 2008 Author Share Posted August 7, 2008 No, it's in the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 We did this a few years ago and it was a lot of fun! The kids loved using the markers and seeing how vibrant their pictures were when they were done. It is IMO a winner! Tip: go to Sam's or Wal-Mart and get "Sharpie" markers. They are the best for a reasonable cost. We found a set at Sam's that had 2x the pens and almost every color you could imagine. Also-do your own pictures while your children do theirs. It is fun for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivium Academy Posted August 7, 2008 Author Share Posted August 7, 2008 We already have a Prismacolor set, I got these in my dd8's first grade year when we were following the WTM to a T but I quickly realized neither she or I were ready for it. Thanks for the tip though, someone mentioned recently to use Sharpies for outlining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
She Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Oh, Now I'm wanting to get this book out again. We started using it many years ago. Loved it at the time, but then we got busy with other things. When we got to the first bird picture I decided to give it a try on my own. My youngest dd was about 4 at the time. I had my back to her, but every time I laid down a marker she picked it up and took it to her desk. When I was finished I was so impressed with my bird. I showed it to dd and said, "Look at Mommy's bird!". And she said, "Look at my bird!". Very recongnizable as a bird! I was so impressed. And I wasn't even showing her how. The lessons really are simple and start with a focus, usually the middle of the face, and work outward. I believe some of us made it to the still life and others stopped at the carousel horse. We start out the school year with such good intentions, and usually finish out the year with just the basics. Hmmm, now how can I fit this in???? Thanks a lot! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlashine Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 I have been getting back into teaching this the past two weeks after a hiatus due to my having no idea how to teach it and everything going wrong. We are doing the elements of shape practice on white boards, and he is really enjoying it. I am going ahead in the book and really learning how to do it myself first. I did all three abstract exercises and wrote the directions on the back of my drawings, and now feel much more prepared to make some up on my own. I think it is a program where you have to feel quite confident in it yourself before doing it with your child, thus they will see that you know what you're doing and can really teach them. Just some things that have worked for us, HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivium Academy Posted August 7, 2008 Author Share Posted August 7, 2008 Thank you for your post, although I like the idea of the dry erase board, it made me realize that keeping a designated notebook (drawing one), might be more encouraging to us being able to see our progress. This has been in the back of my mind, how to keep the art we're doing for this. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschooling6 Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Thanks for this thread. We will be starting this in the Fall and I was wondering the same thing. I sold my first copy and recently picked up another :001_huh: Hopefully we'll do it this year. I did find a schedule some where. I think it was on the MFW 1st Grade YahooGroup. We are using MFW1st grade. Blessings, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlashine Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 I understand, and a sketchbook will be coming into the picture eventually with us. I wanted to make learning the elements of shape more of a game, a drill of sorts. I draw a kidney shape and he is to identify and draw it on his board. He really likes the markers so it is helping to erase our failed try with the program last year. Once we get to the abstract drill, I am going to introduce a sketchbook or notebook for his efforts. Right now it is a quest to get us both comfortable with the Monart way of perceiving things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerriMI Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 to help children begin to see. When my dc were younger we used DWC several times. We had alot of fun and they drew many good pictures. The DWC method begins with the elements of shape in order to help children look more carefully and to take more time in looking at the objects that they are trying to draw. As dc gain confidence, discipline and skill, they will really not need to think about elements of shape so much as what the elements are trying to lead up to, namely: to see the actual shape of lines and spaces of each individual object. An obvious example of this is that there are not too many real life objects with a kidney shape! A tip for teaching DWC: Especially during the first few copied drawings the student attempts, teachers need to guide some children in each minute part of the drawing, for some do not like their completed drawings and it is because they have raced through the assignment and have tried to finish way too quickly. These dc need the discipline to go more slowly than they ever thought that they needed to in order to draw something successfully. If you help them keep in mind that the point is to begin to see the object, the lines and spaces of it and how they are related, and not just to finish a drawing, it may help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grubbsfamily Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Hi My boys took Monart classes. and one thing I would say is do not skip the warm up exercises. She would pick different parts of the item they were to draw and that is what she would do for the warm ups. Have Fun and use lots of color from the beginning that is what makes it fun. We actually have some of their art hanging in our home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terri NS Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 We did quite a few lessons last year and the kids really enjoyed it. I am going to give it a go again this year. I lost steam for it about 1/2 through the year, it seems like art is what gets put aside if we need to do other things (along with Science). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivium Academy Posted August 7, 2008 Author Share Posted August 7, 2008 Thank you, your post is very helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 We did quite a few lessons last year and the kids really enjoyed it. I am going to give it a go again this year. I lost steam for it about 1/2 through the year, it seems like art is what gets put aside if we need to do other things (along with Science). Hi Terri! Nice to "see" you again this summer (I remember you've said on the old boards that you mostly just post in the summers). :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Too funny Colleen!! :rofl: "It isn't that hard...just have taken several years to work through it..." Lol. That IS stubbornness! :lol: Yep it is! I just think the book is wonderful, and didn't want to go out on a search for something else. So, I just slowly persist and my kids are enjoying it. It's one of those WTM recs that I *didn't* mind being more flexible with. I wasn't in as much of a rush to learn how to teach this drawing method, as I was with learning how to teach writing, or Latin, or math...you get the picture (pun intended). :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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