Help kids learn letter strokes. If you have children gearing up for Kindergarten or younger, make it a CIRCLE SUMMER! Sit down and have a blast drawing with your child. After all the scribbles and scrabbles, start drawing circles, counterclockwise.
As kids learn letter strokes, they gain more and more confidence in writing, letter names, letter sounds, writing words and sentences and ultimately writing stories. Now, let’s focus on circles!
COUNTERCLOCKWISE
Teaching your child to draw circles counterclockwise will foster proper letter strokes and help your child write all of these letters:
C G O Q S a c d g o q
MATERIALS
As you teach your child to draw circles, use materials that don’t erase, such as markers. This keeps the child moving forward and not erasing or “correcting.”
When you show your child how to draw a counterclockwise circle, speak kindly and matter-of-factly, “We draw circles this way (start at the top and move counterclockwise)”. If your child starts at the bottom or draws a circle clockwise, simply remind him or her, “Try again. Draw it this way.” OR “Next time, draw it this way.”
Here’s a starter list of easy every day ways to practice drawing circles. For each idea have your child draw 5 or 10 circles (or more if they want).
After they’ve drawn their 5, 10 or 15 circles, they can play, drawing whatever they want however they want!
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NOW FOR THE IDEAS!
- Have your child put their favorite stickers on a piece of paper. Then, using a marker, start at the top and draw a COUNTERCLOCKWISE circle around each sticker.
2. Use sidewalk chalk.
3. Use finger paint on scrap paper.
4. Draw circles in the sand.
5. For snack time, line a piece of paper with cheerios, Cheeze-Its, any favorite snack! Then, using a marker, start at the top and draw a COUNTERCLOCKWISE circle around one and eat it. Continue until they’re all gone!
6. Place a special treat in the center of a paper. Have your child circle the treat 5, 10 or 15 times, then eat the treat!
7. Fill a circular pie pan with shaving cream (or whipped cream). Have your child draw circles before fully indulging in squishy play!
8. Use a dry erase marker and whiteboard.
9. Just last week, a relative gave my 5 year old son window markers* for his birthday. Have your child draw circles on your windows. (It all washes up just fine!)
10. Have your child scratch your back drawing counterclockwise circles.
11. Draw circles on the bathtub wall by smearing bath bubbles.
12. Draw circles on a Magnadoodle*.
The ideas are endless.
The key is that the child develops a habit of writing his or her circles COUNTERCLOCKWISE (starting at the top) to foster proper letter strokes in the future!
