One picture already contains the ingredients of a story: a character, a place, a mood, and a question. Use this three-part structure to help a child build a narrative without deciding the answer for them.
Begin with what you can see
Ask: Who is in the picture? Where are they? What happened one minute before this moment? Naming visible details makes the first sentence easier.
Add a problem
Choose a small challenge that fits the character. Maybe something is lost, a door will not open, or a celebration needs one final ingredient. Problems give the story somewhere to go.
Introduce a helpful surprise
Add an object, animal, sound, or new character that changes the situation. The surprise should create another choice rather than solve everything immediately.
Decide how it ends
Let the child choose whether the ending is funny, calm, exciting, or unfinished. Draw a second scene, act it out, or record the final line on the back of the print.
Try the five-question prompt
- Who is the main character?
- What do they want?
- What gets in the way?
- Who or what helps?
- What is different at the end?
Keep the questions open and specific. A strong prompt supports the child’s idea; it does not replace it.
