Writing Short Narratives with Pictures and Words
Writing Short Narratives with Pictures and Words Objective: Students will learn to use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or experience, demonstrating an understanding of beginning narrative structure as outlined in standard K.W.8.
Learning Objectives
- Understand that a narrative tells about an event or experience.
- Use drawings and words together to tell a story.
- Practice dictating or writing simple sentences to describe a picture.
Materials Needed
- Blank drawing paper or notebook
- Crayons or colored pencils
- Pencils
- Story prompt cards (optional)
Key Vocabulary
- Narrative
- A story that tells about something that happened.
- Dictate
- To say words out loud for someone else to write down.
- Illustration
- A picture that helps tell the story.
Detailed Activities
Create a Picture Story
- Begin by discussing what a story is, focusing on stories about things that happen.
- Ask the child to think of a simple event from their day or imagination.
- Have the child draw a picture showing that event on the blank paper.
- Encourage the child to tell you about their picture out loud while you write down their exact words.
- Help the child write a simple sentence under or next to the picture, using their words or spelling out words slowly together.
- Review the picture and words together, emphasizing that the drawing and words tell the same story.
Story Sharing
- Invite the child to share their drawing and story with a family member or friend.
- Ask questions about the story, such as who, what, where, and when.
- Praise the child for their storytelling and encourage them to try drawing and writing another story soon.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- This lesson encourages creativity and early writing skills by combining drawing and simple sentences.
- Parents should be patient and allow the child to express ideas without worrying about spelling or grammar at this stage.
- Encourage the child to speak clearly when dictating their story to help them understand the connection between spoken and written language.
Assessment Questions
- Can the child tell a simple story about their drawing?
- Does the child use drawings and words together to tell about one event?
- Can the child follow simple prompts to dictate or write a sentence about their picture?
Extension Ideas
- Create a small book by making several pages with drawings and sentences about different events.
- Use story prompt cards to inspire new ideas for drawings and stories.
- Record the child telling their story and play it back to help them hear their own narrative.
Frequently Asked Questions
That’s okay! Let them tell their story while you write it down for them. The goal is to connect their ideas to written language, which builds important early writing skills.
Use simple prompts like ‘Tell me about your favorite toy’ or ‘What did you do this morning?’ to help spark ideas.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Children may think a story needs to be very long or complicated to be considered a narrative.
- Some children might focus only on drawing and resist adding words.
- Children may confuse the order of events when telling a story.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Provide sentence starters or word banks to support writing.
- Allow more time for drawing and oral storytelling before writing.
- Use more guided questions to help organize the story.
For Advanced Students:
- Encourage writing multiple sentences to add details.
- Introduce sequencing words like first, next, and last.
- Have the child create stories with more than one event and a clear reaction.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend about 25 minutes on the drawing and dictating activity, allowing plenty of time for expression.
- Use the remaining 20 minutes for sharing stories and reinforcing narrative concepts through discussion.
Standards
- K.W.8 — Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.
Printable Worksheet
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