Here's a simple and fun activity to help develop your child's language skills!

Appropriate for ages:
4 to 5

Time needed:
15 minutes

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• Family photos or old catalogues or magazines
• Scissors
• Glue
• Magic Marker
• Construction Paper
• Tape or Stapler

WHAT TO DO:

1. Go through your family photographs or through old catalogues or magazine and try to find three photos that have something in common. Children love stories that talk about themselves and their lives so this is a great way to use family photos that didn't come out perfectly and are not worth putting into an album.
   
   If you have any well-worn books that are ready for retirement, you can also try cutting out some pictures from a book before throwing it away.
   
   
2. Have your child go through the pictures and try and help her pick out three pictures that either have similar objects or may have something in common. (Once your child gets the hang of this activity, you can do it with five pictures, but three is good to start with.)
   
   
3. Tape two pieces of construction paper together. I usually find that two pieces of paper are sufficient for three pictures, but if the pictures are large or if your child loves to add lots of detail, then each picture may merit its own page.
   
   
4. Glue the pictures onto the pieces of construction paper. Make sure that you leave enough room under each picture for your child's words.
   
   
5. Ask your child to make up a story about the three pictures. Go to the first picture and say, "What happens first?" Go to the second picture and ask, "What happens next?" Go to the last picture and ask, "What happens last?"
   
   
6. Take a magic marker and write down her exact words. One sentence for each picture is enough.
   
   Do not worry if the words are not correct grammatically. You can read them over to her with the correct wording, but show her that you are writing down her story, not yours.
   
   
7. Hang the story up on your wall or refrigerator.

RELATED ACTIVITIES:

1. Glue the story onto a hard backing (cardboard or oaktag) and let your child decorate the frame.
2. You can give each picture it's own page and then staple the pages together in book form. Have your child make a cover page for her book. Ask her to give the book a title and write her name below the title as the author.
3. If you write several stories, you can bind them together and make a cover page that says, "Jennifer's Stories."

What's great about this activity is that you can do it over and over again and always come out with a different project.

Note: If you do this activity regularly and keep your child's stories over a period of time, you will be able to literally see your child's language develop.