Story Map Drawing
What you need
- a picture book they know well, with a journey in it
- a big sheet of paper
- crayons
How to do it
- Read or tell a story they know well with a journey in it: a bear hunt, or a walk to Grandma's house.
- On the big paper, draw a wiggly path together from one corner to the other.
- Ask your child what happened first, next and last, and let them draw each part along the path: the grass, the river, the cave.
- Then let them tell you the whole story, walking their finger along the map.
Why it matters
A path across the paper puts the story in order, and having something to point at makes the whole thing easier to tell.
What they're learning
- Telling a story in order
- First, next, last, all along the path.
- Crayon control
- Drawing small pictures in the right places.
- Marks that mean something
- A scribble that is the river, because they say so.
What to look for
Notice them going back along the path to add a part they forgot.
A tip
Any marks count as a picture if they can tell you what it is. A story with a journey in it works best.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: draw three things on the path: the start, the middle and the end
Harder: make up a new story and draw its map first
