- chart paper or sentence strips
- crayons
- index cards
- markers
- hear
- listen
- sound
MA Standards:
Writing/W.PK.MA.1: Dictate words to express a preference or opinion about a topic (e.g., “I would like to go to the fire station to see the truck and meet the firemen.”)
Writing/W.PK.MA.2: Use combination of dictating and drawing to explain information
Head Start Outcomes:
Social Emotional Development/Self-Concept and Self-Efficacy: Identifies personal characteristics, preferences, thoughts, and feelings.
Approaches to Learning/Cooperation: Plans, initiates, and completes learning activities with peers.
PreK Learning Guidelines:
English Language Arts/Composition 16: Use their own words or illustrations to describe their experiences, tell imaginative stories, or communicate information about a topic of interest.
Draw and Write Together: We Went Walking #1
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
STEM Key Concepts: Sounds have a source; Different objects make different sounds
ELA Focus Skills: Concepts of Print, Creative Expression, Fine Motor Skills, Following Directions, Speaking and Listening, Vocabulary
Educator Prep: Before beginning this activity, create sentence strips for a group chart. The first sentence strip reads, “We went walking.” The second strip sits under the first and reads, “What did we hear?” Then each child will have a strip that goes in a column under the first two strips. For each child, on the left side of the strip write: “<Child’s name> heard a”. (Leave the right side of the strip blank so children can tape a small drawing onto it.) Hang the chart at children’s eye level where they will be able to reread it and change it on their own.
Gather children and have them think about sounds they have heard. On a small sheet of paper or an index card have each child draw a picture of something he or she heard. (The pictures will be placed on the right side of each child’s strip as you do the activity with children.)
Reading the Chart
- Gather children in front of the chart. Explain that they will each complete a sentence about the sound they heard and drew a picture of.
- Read the first two sentences.
- Then read the first child’s strip and have her tape her drawing on the right side of her strip. Read the sentence (include the name of the picture to finish the sentence.)
- Reread the first two sentences and then read the new sentence.
- Encourage children to join in as the structure becomes familiar.
- On a second reading ask children to add the sound of the object. We went walking. What did we hear? Shania heard a motorcycle … vroom, vroom. We went walking. What did we hear? Jeremiah heard a bird … chirp, chirp.
Reflect and Share Together
Discuss the different sounds children heard. Encourage them to listen to the sounds they hear on their way to and from school. Throughout the week, you may want to have children record any new sounds they hear by drawing a picture. They can add the new pictures next to their name on the chart.
Adaptation: For centers with limited space, make the chart on a large sheet of posterboard. Fold the poster board in half for easy storage.
Adaptation: For centers with children reading on their own, you may want to use labels instead of drawings for each object. After children identify the word, allow them to illustrate the card.