ClassX Video Lessons Subjects Art How Illustrations Show Plot | Reading Comprehension | Khan Academy Kids
Have you ever tried to figure out what’s happening in a story by looking at the pictures? That’s exactly what we’re going to do today! Pictures in a book can help us understand the story better. Let’s dive in and see what we can find out.
First, let’s look at the characters. One fun character we see is Kaani. She has her hands folded like she’s making a wish or hoping for something. There’s also a thought bubble above her head. It looks like Kaani is thinking about dancing and singing!
Next, let’s check out the setting. We see a poster in a school hallway. The poster says “auditions” and has a big picture of Cinderella on it. This gives us a clue about what’s happening in the story.
Based on the pictures, it seems like Kaani wants to try out for the school play. And guess what? Kaani is wearing a big princess gown, which must mean she got the part of Cinderella!
By looking at the pictures, we can piece together the story and understand what’s going on. Isn’t it fun to be a detective and figure things out? Now you can try this with other stories and see what you discover!
Picture Detective Journal: Create your own detective journal! Choose a picture book you have at home. Look at each page carefully and write down what you see in the pictures. Who are the characters? What are they doing? Where are they? Try to guess what might happen next in the story based on the pictures. Share your detective findings with a family member or friend and see if they agree with your story predictions!
Story Scene Drawing: Imagine you are a character in the story with Kaani. Draw a picture of yourself in a scene from the story. What would you be doing? Would you be helping Kaani with her audition, or maybe you’re in the audience watching her perform? Use your imagination to add details to your drawing that tell more about the story.
Act It Out: Gather some friends or family members and act out the story of Kaani and the school play. Use props from around the house, like a blanket for a princess gown or a spoon as a microphone. Take turns being different characters and see how the story changes with each person’s ideas. Afterward, talk about how acting out the story helped you understand it better.
