A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

None

5-10 minutes or as long as your child wants to play.

A magazine; a picture book without words; an online picture

Browse through a magazine, or a picture book without words, and when you come to an engaging picture, ask your child what they think the picture is about. What are the people or animals doing in that picture? How do you think they got there? How are they feeling? Together, come up with a story to match what is happening in that picture!

Ask your child to name objects in the picture to help think about what is happening in the scene!

As the adult, you can begin by describing what is taking place in the picture, and ask your child to think of what could happen next! Listen to how your child is responding to your description; if they are excited and have developed a story for the picture, let them take the lead.

You can help your child to create their own picture book by cutting pictures from magazines. After they have created their own wordless story, have your child retell their story to another person or family member. This will help your child feel like the “reader” and encourage them to develop their language skills.

Helping Your Child Become a Reader, U.S. Department of Education, Margaret Spellings, 2000.