Adding a Drawing to What You Said
A 30-minute Kindergarten lesson on adding a drawing that carries information the words did not.
Adding a Drawing to What You Said is a free 30-minute Kindergarten English lesson plan for Common Core standard SL.K.5 — add a drawing to what you said, to show more of it. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Kindergarten
- Length:
- 30 minutes
- Standard:
- SL.K.5
Kindergarten · Speaking & Listening
SL.K.5
Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.
Objective
Students will be able to add a drawing that shows something their words did not say.
Students are successful when they can
- Draws something connected to what they said.
- The drawing adds rather than repeats.
- Can say what it adds.
What you need
- Paper and pencils
- A description read aloud with no picture
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — draw what I say
4 min- Describe a scene in three sentences. Everyone draws it.
- Hold up four drawings. They are all different and all correct.
Teach — what the picture can add
9 min- Say one sentence: 'My dog waited by the gate.'
- Draw it, and add three things the sentence never said: the weather, the colour, what else is there.
- Point at each addition and name it as something the words did not say.
- Then draw a second picture that only repeats the sentence, and ask what it added. Nothing.
- Name the test: what does your picture tell me that your words did not?
“If I can get everything in your picture from your sentence, the picture is not doing a job.”
Guided practice — say it, then draw it
9 min- Pairs say a sentence to each other, then each draws the other's.
- The speaker says what the drawing added.
Independent practice
6 min- Students complete the draw-and-describe page.
- The drawing box comes first, the lines second.
Close
2 min- One child shows their drawing and says the sentence.
- The class says one thing the drawing added.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
The drawing repeats the sentence exactly and adds nothing.
Why: Matching the words feels like doing it right.
Fix: Ask the test question every time: what does the picture say that the words do not?
The drawing has nothing to do with the sentence.
Why: Drawing is enjoyable and the sentence gets left behind.
Fix: Have the sentence written or spoken again immediately before drawing starts.
Spends the whole session on the drawing and never says the sentence.
Why: The drawing is the visible part of the task.
Fix: Say the sentence first, every time, and keep the drawing to two minutes.
If they are not there yet
- Give the sentence to draw rather than asking them to compose one.
- Suggest one thing to add: the weather, or the time of day.
If they finish early
- Add a label to one part of the drawing.
- Draw a second picture showing what happened next.
- Draw something that changes how the sentence is understood.
Exit ticket
Say your sentence. Now show me your picture. What does the picture tell me that the sentence did not?
What to look for: One named addition. 'Nothing' is a real answer and means the picture is a copy, which is the thing to fix.
Printable practice for SL.K.5
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Draw It and Say ItNumber the boxes to show the right order.
Questions about Adding a Drawing to What You Said
How long does the Adding a Drawing to What You Said lesson take?
30 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 4 min, teach 9 min, guided practice 9 min, independent practice 6 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Adding a Drawing to What You Said teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.5 — SL.K.5, Speaking & Listening for Kindergarten: “Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.” In plain terms, add a drawing to what you said, to show more of it.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Paper and pencils, a description read aloud with no picture and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: the drawing repeats the sentence exactly and adds nothing; the drawing has nothing to do with the sentence and spends the whole session on the drawing and never says the sentence. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Say your sentence. Now show me your picture. What does the picture tell me that the sentence did not?.” One named addition. 'Nothing' is a real answer and means the picture is a copy, which is the thing to fix. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Adding a Drawing to What You Said?
Yes — 1 printable SL.K.5 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Adding a Drawing to What You Said free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to SL.K.5 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.