What’s Happening in this Picture?
When children are in elementary school, it isn’t always easy to get them to write a story. You can’t just say to them, “Write me a story about anything you want.” They need more guidance and a place to start. Often, teachers will give students a “picture prompt” to get children’s minds going. The same can be done for preschool children in order to jump-start their imagination and get ideas flowing.
Flip through an old magazine or, better yet, borrow from the library a children’s magazine, such as Ranger Rick, National Geographic Kids, or Your Big Backyard. Find a picture that depicts an interesting scene. Ask yourself the question, “If I don’t read any of the words on the page, what would I think is going on in this picture?” If you feel you could answer the question fairly easily, it is probably a good choice for this activity.
If it is not from the library, cut out the picture. (If you are not able to cut out the picture, simply try to cover up everything except the picture.) Ask your child, “What is happening in this picture?” If she is unable to answer the question, give her a few suggestions, and then ask her, “What do you think happened after this picture was taken?”
Remember that these are just suggested questions. The point is to get your child thinking about the picture and attempting to tell a story about it. Ask any questions you feel would accomplish this objective.
As you do this activity several times, use a variety of pictures that depict different subjects, such as people, animals, and cartoons. Try some pictures that look serious and some that appear to show something silly. Have fun with it, and try not to limit your child’s imagination. If you are looking at a picture of a mother bear and her cub, and your child tells a story about aliens taking them to their ship, just run with it, and praise her for her creative efforts.
Digg Delicious Favorites Blogmarks Magnolia Google Newsvine Reddit Technorati
Written by BRWI Staff on August 9, 2011
Comments
No Comments
Leave a reply