Pictures About Books

Purpose/Skills

• To listen to a book and discuss the contents
• To dictate words to tell about a picture
• To practice fine motor skills

Materials
Children's book, a piece of drawing paper for each child with a paper truck or airplane glued on it, crayons and markers

Vocabulary
pictures
draw

Literature Suggestion
Read Five Trucks by Brian Floca, or any book about trucks or airplanes that uses simple illustrations.

Warm-Up
Ask children what trucks they see in their neighborhood or town (postal trucks, garbage trucks, delivery trucks, pickup trucks, fire-fighting trucks). Ask them to describe the trucks. Show a picture of a truck or a toy truck. Then ask children: What is this? Have you ever seen a real one?

Procedure

• Read the book with children. Talk about the trucks (and/or airplanes) in the book. Ask questions about the pictures in the book to help children describe the vehicles. Talk about what trucks do and what airplanes do at an airport.
• Pass out the drawing paper. Invite children to draw a picture of a truck or airplane and then draw a picture around it that tells a story.
• Have each child dictate a sentence or two about his or her picture story. Write the sentences on the pictures.

Observation Assessment

• Proficient - Child demonstrates an understanding of the book by discussing the content and representing it in a picture.
• In Process - Child demonstrates some understanding of the story, but needs prompts to talk about it or represent it in a picture.
• Not Yet Ready - Child does not yet show an understanding of the book or the concept of showing its contents in a picture.