Picture Talks and Posters

These pictures and photos can be used with a small group, or individual children, to introduce a topic, encourage visual discrimination and discussion, and expand ideas and concepts. Best when printed on cardstock.

Method:

1) Hold or place the picture in front of the children, and ask that they look at it without speaking. 30 seconds is about right.

2) Ask children in turn to talk about something that they see in the picture.  Encourage expansion of their ideas (it is just visual at this point) with a nudging word or two.  This part is purely descriptive.

3) Now move on to the ideas about what is happening, when might have happened already, and what might happen next. This part is imaginary, guided by clues in the picture. Tailor the discussion to devt. level, and interest in the picture.

4)  Post it on the wall, especially if it is related to a topic being studied.  A  descriptive sentence strip could be added (Morning Message "reading"?), and vocabulary words for older children.