Have you read your child her favorite stories until she has them memorized? Go on a brand-new storytelling adventure using your kindergartener’s five favorite picture books. She’ll identify the character, setting, and story problem of each picture book, and create a small deck of cards to mix and match the elements of each story to create a whole new one. Soon she’ll be telling about when Olivia went to Where the Wild Things Are to find her Purple Plastic Purse! The surprise? She’s developing language skills and learning how story elements interact.
What You Need:
- 5 picture books
- Index cards
- Colored pens or markers
What You Do:
- Count out fifteen index cards. Label five of the cards CHARACTER, another five SETTING, and the last five STORY PROBLEM.
- Using the first picture book, fill out a “character card” with the name of the main character, a “setting card” about where the story takes place, and a “story problem card” telling what the character is trying to do.
- Repeat Step 2 for the four remaining picture books.
- Invite your child to mix and match a story with you! Separate the cards into three piles. Shuffle one pile at a time and have her choose a character, a setting and a story problem.
- Explain to her that these are from her favorite stories. You may need to discuss which stories they come from and what happens in each story. Now she has the chance to make up a new story using these parts of the stories she loves.
- Coach her as needed. When she is done, discuss how this story differed from the originals. What changes came with a new setting or a different story problem?
- Shuffle the cards and play again!
As you explore new books together, add to the collection of “character”, “setting” and “story problem” cards. In addition to telling the stories, encourage her to draw them or act them out with her friends.
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