Teaching article
A caption should add something the picture cannot tell you
Ask a caption to explain something useful rather than repeat what the picture already makes obvious.
Show an image with two possible captions: one merely names what is visible, while another supplies relevant context. The comparison gives children a practical reason to think about what accompanying words contribute.
A bridge drawing can be captioned 'second prototype after adding folded supports' instead of merely 'a bridge'.
Find the missing information
Identify what the picture alone does not communicate. A useful caption adds relevant context rather than repeating an obvious visual detail.
Describe what the image already shows. Identify missing context. Add one concise factual or fictional label.
Clearly label invented scenes and unverified claims.
What does the caption add? Accept an adult-scribed caption.
Resources
- Reflection Journal Template — Use the editable prompt space to record the text, question and response; it is a blank recording aid rather than a reading programme.
Further reading
Read next
- Give the instructions to someone who has not seen the task
- Where a word search fits in vocabulary practice
- One event, two narrators, different information
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