The note
How schools teach it now
Schools often use pictures and short films to start writing. Children are taught to look closely, note details with the five senses, and ask questions about what is happening, what just happened and what might happen next, then choose one idea to build on.
5-minute kitchen-table activity
Pick a photo from a newspaper, a holiday album or a book cover. Set a 3-minute timer. Your child jots what they can see, then what they might hear, smell and feel if they stepped inside. Finish with one question the picture makes them ask. That question is the start of a story.
Worked example
Picture: an empty fairground at night, one ride still lit up. Plan your writing.
- Senses first: flickering bulbs, a creaking ride, the smell of burnt sugar, a cold wind.
- Ask a question: why is one ride still turning when everyone has gone?
- Decide what you're writing (a story or a description) and plan it, using the best details.
Answer: A plan built from close looking: details from the picture plus an idea that answers the question it raises.
Common mistakes to watch for
- Listing what is in the picture without turning it into a story or a description.
- Wandering away from the picture so it no longer matters.
- Using only sight, when sounds, smells and textures bring it to life.
Encouragement
- Try saying
- “What do you notice that I might have missed?”
- Rather than
- “There's nothing in that picture to write about.”