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What are Picture Notes?
Quick stick-figure type of drawing using post-it or similar. They are drawn in the moment as you plan an excursion (even a short one like grocery shopping) with your child to visualise steps and agree on what can and cannot be done and what is expected.
It helps visualise what is going to happen, minimise anxiety and also set consistent, clear expectations and avoid power struggles.
Why do we use Picture Notes?
Use Picture Notes to:
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Grab and keep children's attention with your words.
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Tell an upcoming 'story' of the child's life (through, for instance, planners and charts).
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Teach the child to refer back to your directions independently.
Picture notes discussed this week are slightly different from the evening success charts since these picture notes are created on the spot to communicate an idea.
How do Picture Notes connect to Self-Regulation?
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Selective Attention link: children pay attention to visual stories and pictures.
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Literacy link: children can ‘read’ back each note.
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Independence link: children can be independent managing a longer set of directions.
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Memory link: children use picture notes to remember what will happen next.
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Stress link: when children know what will happen next, stress goes down.
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Brain link: when children have a sense of control, learning goes up!
Benefits for Literacy & Inclusivity
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Capture and maintain a child’s attention to your words.
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You may have already tried this at home some time and the teacher may use something similar at school.
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Research shows that when you draw a picture while describing an event or activity, children will recall not only the content of your words but also the grammar you used while talking.
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Children naturally are intrigued to see what your pen will draw. You can capitalise on their curiosity by describing what is happening in the picture and most importantly, what that means for your child.
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Spoken words can sometimes be hard for children to understand and remember. Using picture notes attaches something concrete to your words, which children can understand and look at later to remember.
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Have your children ever not wanted to leave the playground, or stop playing when you told them it was time to go? Picture notes can be great in this type of situation too, because, just like a save-it-for-later, you can make a picture note to let the child know that their idea has been heard and respected, even if it can’t happen right away.