Tell Me the Pictures
What you need
- a picture book they know well
How to do it
- Pick a picture book they've heard many times.
- Instead of reading it, ask them to tell you what's happening on each page.
- Point to things and ask 'what's he doing?' or 'what happens next?'
- Read the real words at the end and see what was the same.
Why it matters
Telling a story from the pictures puts them in charge of the words, and a book they know gives them plenty to say.
What they're learning
- Telling a story
- Saying what happens, page by page, is putting events in order.
- Describing
- Lots of words for what people and animals are doing.
- Book handling
- Turning pages one at a time and holding the book the right way up.
What to look for
Watch for them using a phrase from the real book in their own telling.
A tip
Resist correcting the story. Their version is the point.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: ask them to find and name one thing on each page
Harder: use a picture book they haven't seen before and guess the story together
