Label your picture — putting words next to things

Mentor-text examination: open to a labeled-illustration page. Whisper-talk to your neighbor: 'What's the label? What does it name?'

• Project the page
• Trace each label-to-object connection with a finger

M-K-F-WR-08-B Photograph

Photo of the page in Eric Litwin's 'Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes' that depicts Pete walking through strawberries. The strawberries, shoes, and Pete are each subtly labeled in the original illustration. Used to show children that even published books label things.

When real authors and illustrators draw, they LABEL their pictures so readers know what they're looking at. A label is a word — or just the first letter of a word — placed RIGHT NEXT to the thing it names. Watch — I'll draw a sun. (Draws.) The word 'sun' starts with 'S'. I'll write 'S' next to my sun. (Writes.) That's a label.

• Listen for the first sound. /k/. C is one way to spell that sound.

  model 'C' because cat starts with /k/ which is spelled C.

  prompt What letter would I write next to a drawing of a cat?
• Real authors do both. Start with one letter; grow to whole words.

  model Yes — if I know all the letters! Otherwise, just the first letter is great.

  prompt Can I label with the WHOLE word?

• Where do labels go? (next to the object)
• What letter for 'dog'? ('D')
• What letter for 'apple'? ('A')

M-K-F-WR-08-A Illustration

A child's drawing of a sunny park scene with five labels using initial letters: a sun (S), a tree (T), a dog (D), a person (P), and a kite (K). Each label sits directly next to the object with a clear line connecting label to object. Style: child-art mimicry — crayon-like, not too polished, so kindergartners see themselves in it.

• Draw a picture of yourself doing one thing you love.

  scaffold Topic-card prompts: 'I love ___.'
• Label THREE things in your picture with their first letter.

  scaffold Letter cards available; teacher checks each label for placement and letter.
• Share with your shoulder-partner — point to each label and say the word.

  scaffold Sentence frame: 'This is my ___.'

• Show three labels on your drawing.
• Self-check: did I put the label NEXT TO the thing? (yes / no)

• Gallery walk — leave your picture on your desk and walk to two friends' pictures. Look for their labels.
• Compliment one label aloud.

• Draw and label one room in your house at home. Bring it to share tomorrow.