Story Drawings

Purpose/Skills

• To recognize that words and pictures can tell about real-life objects
• To practice fine motor skills

Materials
Children's book, paper, crayons, markers

Vocabulary
color words
shape

Literature Suggestion
Read Little Cloud by Eric Carle, or another book with simple shapes for children to describe and draw.

Warm-Up
Invite children to play "What Color Do I See?" Say: "I am looking at Suzy's shirt; what color do I see? I see the grass outside; what color do I see? I am looking at the floor; what color do I see?" At first have children answer in a chorus. Then invite them to give individual responses. End the game with the colors of the sky and clouds (or other important items in the book you choose).

Procedure

• Before reading the book, invite children to look at the cover. Use your finger to trace a shape from the cover in the air. As you read, ask children to notice important shapes in the book, describe them, and make outlines of them in the air.
• Give children paper and say: "Tell me the color crayon you want." If they don't say the name of the color, tell it to them, and ask them to repeat the name. "That's a red crayon. Say red. Here is the red crayon."
• Ask children to recall the shapes in the book and to draw one shape on a sheet of paper. (For example, if you read Little Cloud, children can make a big cloud of any shape on the paper.) Talk to children about their shapes and make sure that they know the color they used. Beneath the shape, write the color used and have the child say the color word aloud.

Enrichment
Have a color parade, with children holding up the pictures they made. Children who used the same color for their pictures can march together. Have each child or each color group shout the name of color they used as they pass by you.

Observation Assessment

• Proficient - Child comfortably holds a crayon, makes a shape related to the book, and is able to identify the color used
• In Process - Child is awkward using crayons, manages to scribble a shape, but has difficulty identifying the color.
• Not Yet Ready - Child is not yet able to draw shapes or identify colors.