Your child will draw pictures during reading to help them retell a story after reading.
Learning Area(s): Language and Communication; Reading and Writing
MATERIALS
- children’s book with characters and a clear plot (beginning, middle, end)
- 3 index cards or pieces of paper
- markers, crayons, pencils, etc.
LET'S PLAY
Begin by sitting with your child and saying, “Let’s be storytellers today. When you tell a story, you can talk about the characters, the setting, and the plot. The characters are people or animals in the story. The setting is where the story happens or takes place. The plot is what happens in the story; it usually has a beginning, middle, and end. Look, I am writing ‘beginning,’ ‘middle,’ and ‘end’ on each one of these cards. While we read, we will stop so that you can draw a picture of what’s happening in the story.”
Start reading the story aloud to your child and then stop at a beginning point of the story. Ask your child some questions like “What is the setting?”, “Who is the main character in the story?”, and “What’s happening to the main character?” Invite your child to draw what is happening at the beginning of the story on the first paper.
Continue reading the story and guide your child to draw a picture of what is happening in the middle and end of the story.
When you finish reading, say, “Instead of using the book to tell the story, let’s use your drawings to retell the story.” Point to the first paper and ask, “What’s happening during this part of the story?” Encourage your child to point to each picture and use it as they retell the story in their own words.
TIPS
- It’s a good idea for you to read the book in advance of this activity so that you can think about where you will pause to invite your child to draw the beginning and middle of the story.
- To add challenge, use five notecards labeled “character,” “beginning,” “problem,” “solution,” “ending,” and retell a story by answering the following: “Somebody (who is the main character?) wanted (what did the character want?), but (what was the problem?). So (how was the problem solved?). Then (what happened next?).”