Prewriting With Pictures

I want to make teaching your children according to their personalities to be easy and fun. Today I'm going to share an idea for pre-writing that I think is really fun and can be used with very young up to older kids. I call it Prewriting With Pictures.

If you don't know what prewriting is, I'll give a quick definition. Wikipedia states "Prewriting is the first stage of the writing process, typically followed by drafting, revision, editing and publishing. Elements of prewriting may include planning, research, outlining, diagramming, storyboarding or clustering (for a technique similar to clustering, see mindmapping)." So basically it helps you get ready to write.

As a teacher I noticed some kids had so many ideas they couldn't have written them all, but a lot of kids had a hard time coming up with original ideas for stories. Many would write stories based on video games or slightly changed versions of their favorite books. Prewriting is a great step to help these students start to think on their story ideas.

1. I used a large piece of paper so there would be plenty of room to draw pictures. I was working with my three year old daughter and so I was involved. With older students, they could do it on their own or with partners or groups. 
2. I started by asking her what pictures we should draw, she would give me ideas and I would sketch them and she would color them. Then I wrote their names underneath to expose her to letters and how the words are spelled. 
3. Then I started making up stories with the pictures. I would choose one and start a story. I would add to the paper pictures to help with the story. I would draw lines to show action or interaction between the pictures. It was a fun interactive way to create a story.
4. After my story I would involve my little girl in helping to to tell a story and then by the end, she was making up her own from the pictures on the paper.

• Older students could do this on their own or with others, like I said earlier. :)

Now some ways to individualize it to personality...

• Groups or partners are great for Helpers and Feelers
• Thinkers could work on their own
• Players and Feelers usually like to draw pictures
• Helpers and Players will be drawn to more realistic or straight forward stories
• Feelers and Thinkers will be drawn to more fantasy stories or symbolism
• Players and Feelers like to share their ideas and stories
• Explain why we prewrite to help Thinkers understand why it's important
• Do exciting stories with Players
• Do stories about relationships with Feelers
• Helpers like stories that teach lessons or remind them of the world around them
• Symbolic, metaphoric, imaginative, science fiction or fantasy with Thinkers
• Allow children like Thinkers to use other resources like the computer to create pictures 
• Give kids time to think and process, especially Players and Thinkers
• Make sure there is enough room to work for Thinkers
• You could have children act out the stories or use toys to act out the stories (especially Feelers and Players)

I hope you enjoy this lesson idea and create wonderful story ideas with your children! If you have any other subjects or things you want ideas for, comment and let me know! Make sure to subscribe and get all the emails!