Today I read a short article by author, Anastasia Suen, about “Teaching Sentence Fluency with Wordless Books.” She suggests using wordless picture books and letting the students write the story based on the pictures.
We did much the same technique when I worked in an elementary school library. Each year we would have the three second grade classes put into words the wonderful wordless classic, THE SNOWMAN by Raymond Briggs.
With each different class we had them decide as a group what the name of the characters in the story were to be. Then 2-3 students would be given one page of the story to tell. We would gather each group’s page, put them in order, and post the entire story on the wall outside the library. The students loved this activity. They enjoyed reading the other two classes’ stories as well–because even using the same illustrations, the three classes’ stories differed. A wonderful way to emphasize the unlimited creativity we each possess–how we each see the world a bit differently.
What a great way to encourage young writers and readers. This activity could easily be used at home as well. The simple truth is the better a child can read and write the better he will do in school. Help your child(ren) become great readers and writers and have fun while doing it.