Work on writing drawings?

[lisayan90]

In the past I have had my first graders start their writing with an illustration, but I have found that many of them spend the entire time drawing and sometimes even continue drawing the next day also. Since the rotations are short do you think drawing is necessary and how do you keep your artists from creating masterpieces rather than writing?

[srea]

Two ways I've dealt with this--use a time to say the first 5 minutes (or ten) are for drawing. Then they switch over to writing--kids can use a timer As the year goes on, I tell them that our writing time is for getting words down, but on Friday, they may go back to illustrate any or all of the writings they've done throughout the week. This works pretty well, I think.

[melodrae]

I like both of those ideas! I struggle with some of the violence my oys present too. I am pretty liberal, knowing boys have a different dynamic....but when one boy's "Hobo", killed people (robbers) then BBQ'd and ate them, I broke down and cried and had to call off my meeting with him.

[lisayan90]

I know what you mean. I had to tell my kids that they can't put blood or violence in their drawings. So then when we were making our Veterans Day cards they were all asking if they could draw tanks and guns with their soldiers. It's amazing how obsessed they get with that stuff.