One of my favorite ways to review story elements is through play. The best part? Kids barely notice they’re practicing reading skills because they’re just playing with toys.
1. Get out your favorite LEGO guys, action figures or dolls and set them up to play.
2. Start playing! As you act out a story with your toys, think about how your play story is like other stories you read or write. All stories have elements like characters, setting, a sequence of events, a problem and a solution. While you play, ask yourself some of these questions…
- Which character is the main character in this story?
- What is the setting?
- What is the problem? How does the problem get solved?
- Does the story remind you of another story, movie or TV show?
- Do any of the characters change during the story?
- If you were going to give this story a title, what would you call it?
3. When you’re finished playing, you might want to do something else with your story. Try writing it down in a journal, making it into a comic book, or retelling it to a friend!
*For a different twist, you can read a book, then and act out the story with your toys.
For more resources on storytelling through play, check out the following: