A blank page can feel like a big starting point. A picture gives children something to notice, talk about and imagine before they begin writing.
This is the idea behind Picture Prompt Stories: think, plan, write. Children explore a picture, use it to build a quick plan, then turn their ideas into an original story.
Download the free wishing-well activity to try it with your class.
1. Get everything ready
Print a quick-plan writing sheet for each child and a sheet of the chosen picture prompt. Have scissors, glue, colouring pencils and writing pencils ready. In the free activity, the wishing-well sheet includes 20 cut-out copies of the same picture.
You can use one picture for the whole class and compare the different stories it inspires. With the full pack, you can also offer a choice of prompts.
2. Look closely and talk first
Before anyone starts writing, give children time to describe what they see. You might ask:
• What is it? What do you notice?
• Is anything happening?
• What might have led to this moment?
• What might happen next?
• How would you feel if you were there?
Let the ideas stay open. A wishing well might lead to a magical adventure, a problem to solve or a surprising discovery.
3. Decide where the picture belongs
The quick plan has four boxes: Where? Who? What happens? How does it end? Children stick their picture in the box where they think it belongs.
In the wishing-well example, the picture goes in “Where?” because it provides the setting. Another writer might decide that finding the well is something that happens halfway through the story, or that reaching it is the ending.
There is no single right answer. The same picture can belong in different boxes, depending on the story. This is an opportunity for children to explain their choices and use their imaginations.
4. Fill in the rest of the plan
Children complete the remaining boxes using pictures, words or short notes. Ask them to connect the ideas: Who visits the well? What happens there? How will the story end?
The plan does not need full sentences. Drawings and labels can be enough to help a child remember their ideas. Before writing, ask children to tell their story to a partner or an adult. If a part is missing or does not follow, they can work it out together.
5. Turn the plan into a story
Now children can give their story a title and begin writing. Encourage them to sound out words and remind them to use punctuation. The plan is there to help them remember the story; they can add details or change an idea as they write.
Success criteria can be set at the start of the session so children have personal targets and know what you are looking for. One child might focus on capital letters and full stops, while another works on describing a character’s feelings.
Make it work for your class
For children who are beginning to write, drawing and telling the story can be the main task, with an adult scribing if needed. Developing writers might write a few connected sentences. More confident writers can add description, explain why events happen and develop a longer story.
Finish by reading stories aloud. It is lovely to compare how one picture has led to different characters, events and endings. Invite each child to choose one thing they like and one thing they would improve.
Try the free activity
The four-page freebie includes the wishing-well prompt, photo instructions, a quick plan with writing space and a class printing sheet.
Download the free Picture Prompt Stories activity.
For more starting points, the full 26-page pack includes 20 different picture prompts, teacher guidance, planning and writing sheets, and an extra continuation sheet.
Explore the full Picture Prompt Stories pack.
The finished story: The Wishing Well
