“Artists are just children who refuse to put down their crayons.”  ~ Al Hirschfeld

When I first began teaching children, I rarely used coloring activities, because some parents and teachers do not think it is a valuable way to learn a language. However, children love to color and draw. Throughout the years, I have found it to be a valuable teaching technique with many benefits. Children develop motor skills and learn about patterns, symmetry, etc. Coloring also helps children imagine and visualize a context for new vocabulary. Additionally, coloring helps teachers manage classroom behavior. Children need sit down and rest activities after a game or dancing and coloring activities are perfect to create a balance. Below are a few free tools and ideas to make sure your coloring activities provide meaningful language learning.  (more…)