From Scribbles to Illustrations: Transitioning into Drawing Shapes, People, and Places with my Illustration Unit

So you and your toddlers have finished the Preschool Drawing Unit! In two weeks you saw them go from random scribbles to structured scribbles telling stories and creating shapes! You might be gearing up for the transition to kindergarten, or maybe you are a couple of weeks into the kindergarten school year, in either case, it is time to move on to my Illustration Unit! 

What are the basics covered during the Illustration Unit?

My Illustration Unit is a one-of-a-kind, month-long unit all about drawing shapes to create people, places, and objects. Throughout the four weeks, your students will learn about adding details to their drawings, using proper colors, and following step-by-step directed drawing instructions. 

You do not need to worry if your students do not know their letter sounds yet or cannot recognize and write letters. This is a prewriting unit meaning you are not asking students to write about their illustrations or even label them. You are simply asking your students to be illustrators and tell stories by drawing. 

So how does this help prepare my students?

Well, since you asked… the Illustration Unit will go far in improving and strengthening your student's fine motor skills. They will practice drawing straight and curved lines (much like they did in the Preschool Unit) but at a more advanced level. This is an important skill for writing letters!

It will also give them the chance to build up independence. Each lesson includes a directed drawing that students can practice completing independently. Eventually, they’ll be able to pull out their directed drawing notebook and draw illustrations for any piece of writing they complete throughout the school year!  

You and your students will be able to seamlessly move into labeling and writing short words using my Kindergarten Labeling Unit because you will have built a strong foundation. Students will be able to focus on the phonics and writing components rather than stressing over the drawing! 

How do I know if my students are ready to move on to the Illustration Unit? 

If you have completed the Preschool Drawing Unit and read my mentor text Scribble Scrabble, then it is likely that you are ready for the next step! But you may want to do a quick informal (or formal if that’s your jam) assessment to get an idea of where your students are at with their fine motor skills. 

Here are some things to look for! 

Your students are READY for the Illustration Unit if: 

• They are drawing straight lines and closed shapes 
• They are drawing curved lines and circles 
• They are scribbling to tell stories 
• They are attempting to draw people and objects 

If this sounds like the majority of your class, grab the first three days of my Illustration Unit for FREE here! Or grab the entire unit right here! 

Your students are NOT ready for the Illustration Unit if: 

• They are not able to draw straight lines 
• They are majorly struggling to grip a pencil 
• They are not able to draw closed shapes
• Their scribbles are still random (they do not attempt to draw people or stories and instead draw random dashes, dots, or scribbles) 

If this sounds more like your students, first, take a deep breath. It is okay! Do what is developmentally appropriate for your kids and slow down. Take the time to do some prewriting activities, enhance your fine motor skills, and practice the basics. You can go back and repeat my Preschool Unit, extend the lessons you feel are needed, or use some of these fine motor activities. 

Then, once you feel your students are sounding more like the list above, get going with my Illustration Unit! You will see so much growth and notice that your students are well-prepared to begin writing once they’ve completed these two units!

Want Amanda's new mentor texts? Get them here! These are physical books and are not included in the digital download. You can absolutely teach this unit without the mentor text, but having a clear, supporting text makes introducing a new skill even easier. (Books 4-10 available Spring 2026!)