- Definition
Invented notation is like drawing simple pictures or symbols to plan out a play or story, helping your child remember movements or ideas.
Drawing a squiggly line on a stage map to show the path a character will walk is a form of invented notation.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Invented notation is like drawing a treasure map for a play, where your own secret symbols show where to stand and what to do.
Ask your child: What symbol could you invent to mean 'speak loudly'?
Common mix-up: Kids might think notation has to be a set of official rules everyone knows. Invented notation is a personal shorthand you create yourself to capture your own ideas for a scene.
Examples
- Using a simple drawing of a crown to represent 'power' in a scene.
- Creating a symbol like a lightning bolt to remind an actor to say a line with sudden energy.
- Sketching stick figures on a page to plan where actors will stand at the start of a scene.
invented notation is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
