…three story maps,
two Play-Doh tools,
and a story under the tree!
Story maps are a great way to gauge a child’s comprehension, focus, and even enjoyment of a book. This activity teaches children story structure and allows them to examine the components of each book on our reading list! Our Kinder Hoots (4 ½ to 5 year olds) look forward to discussing the different parts of each story and creating their own illustrations.
After completing our book during story time, we ask the kids to tell us what the book was about and their favorite part. This opens up an initial discussion and brings us to understanding the beginning, the middle, and the end. Once we begin talking about these sections, we are able to delve a bit deeper and think more critically about the story. This is very important at this stage of a child’s development. They are beginning to be able to make deductions and inferences, and engaging that part of their minds helps to hone these skills.
Story map also, of course, gives our kids a chance to be creative as well! Their favorite part of the activity is drawing the illustrations and putting their own spin on things. We let them discover for themselves what they want each portion to depict and look like.
Eventually, our story maps become more involved – looking at not just the beginning, middle, and end but also the plot, characters, setting, and theme. This opens our students up to an even deeper level of comprehension and a more structured understanding of storytelling.