Picture Writing
Using Student Art to Motivate Early Writing
Stage of Literacy Development:
Stage 1: Beginning LiteracyAges:
3-7
Grade Range:
PreK K 1stFood Groups:
Primary: Letter-Sounds & Phonics, Writing Conventions
Activity Description
Preparation:
-
Gather paint materials for painting center
- Each student will need 1 large piece of paper
-
Set up the painting center
- Allow between 2-4 students to visit the painting center at one time during activity time
Implementation:
Session 1:
-
Invite students to the gathering area for a morning meeting
-
Describe the new painting center and explain that students may visit this center if they would like to paint a picture
- Explain that when the paintings are dry they will meet with the teacher to write about their picture
-
Describe the new painting center and explain that students may visit this center if they would like to paint a picture
Session 2:
-
Meet one-on-one with each student
- You may wish to meet with students during an activity time
-
Ask the student to tell you about their picture
- You may need to use prompts or ask further questions about the picture in order to encourage student to respond
- Once the student has orally shared his/her picture have student tell one sentence that describes the picture
-
Support the student in writing this sentence, for example:
- Help them figure out where to begin on the page
- Support them as they attempt to use writing conventions such as finger spacing, capitals, and punctuation
- Encourage the student to sound out each word and to use letters to represent the sounds they hear
-
When the sentence is complete, have the student read it back to you
- Encourage the student to point to each word as he/she reads it aloud
Adaptations For
English Language Learners/ESL:
- Isolate and exaggerate each sound in the word by pointing to your mouth and telling student to look and say correct response
- Use picture cues for each sound that corresponds to the correct letter
- Use gestures or simple actions for each sound
LD/Reading & Writing Difficulties:
- Use a cuing system and have a letter-sound chart that includes pictures or symbols
- Use gestures or simple actions for each sound
Cultural Appropriateness & Diversity:
- Allow students to paint a picture of their choice
Differentiated Instruction:
- Post all pictures on the wall or bulletin board
Related References
Evidence: Abbott, M., Walton, C. & Greenwood, C.R. (2002). Phonemic awareness in kindergarten and first grade. Teaching Exceptional Children, 34, 20-26.
Activity Objective
The goal of Picture Writing: Using Student Art to Motivate Early Writing is to help students develop their understanding of the relationship between spoken sounds and written letters and encourage students to blend individual sounds to make words.
What You Need
Prep Time:
10 minutes - Gather paint materials
- Set up painting center
Task Time:
2, 20 minute sessions
Session 1:
- Teacher introduces activity
- Students paint picture
Session 2:
- Teacher meets with each student to write sentence
Materials Required:
Teacher:
- Markers
Students:
- Paints
- Paint brushes
- Large paper
- Pencils
What You Do
Teacher Role:
Direct instructor:
- while teacher introduces activity
Facilitator:
- while students paint pictures
Consultant:
- while students write their sentences
Student Grouping:
Whole class:
- during introduction of activity
Individual:
- during painting and writing of sentence
Assessment Ideas:
- Track each student's ability to identify the spoken sound and corresponding letter name using a checklist
- Note improvements in each student's ability to correspond the spoken sound with the correct letter name by comparing paintings at different times throughout the year
Quick Tips
Activity Extensions:
- Have a space on the wall where all of the paintings can be displayed
- Have students write about a picture each month and file their paintings throughout the year
a. At the end of the year compile each student's pictures and order them by month
b. Turn them into big books and share them with parents noting the development of letter-sound correspondences and fine motor control
- Have students share their pictures and sentences with the class during "author's chair"
Additional Comments:
- Having students write about objects or art they have created is extremely motivating. This strategy can be used in many ways, for example, by having students draw pictures about their favorite part of a story and then writing about it.
- Encouraging students to write the letters on their own will indicate how their ability to identify sounds and write the corresponding letters is developing.
- Provide students with a chart that shows a familiar picture or symbol that matches each letter. Have this chart available to students as they write their sentence.
- As you introduce activity centers, including the painting center, make sure to model what to do at the center. Providing students with explicit instructions will help them learn and understand the expectations.
Other Adaptations/Modifications:
- Assist with using the paint brush for students who are developing fine motor control
Other Recipes by this Teacher
Who Lives Here?: Building Background Knowledge
K - 1st
The Daily Five: Fostering Literacy Independence in Pre-Kindergarten
PreK - 6th
Mind Pictures: Promoting Comprehension through Visualization
PreK - 3rd
Community Circle: Fostering Oral Language Development
K - 2nd
Where's the Sound?: Listening for Beginning, Middle, and End Sounds
PreK - 1st
