When kids get in the habit of visualizing during their reading, we know they are comprehending what they are reading. Here’s a strategy to teach visualization that can work for all primary-grade students.

Set up a learning center that includes a book in print form and the same book in audio form. As students cycle through the station, have them first listen to the book without looking at the printed version. The emphasis during this reading is on creating a mental image of what’s occurring in the story.

When the audio is finished, challenge students to draw a picture to represent the story. Suggest to students that they draw what’s happening in the story or draw a character. Whatever they draw, you want them to depict as much detail from the story as possible. When the drawing is finished you could also have students label their pictures or write a sentence that explains the picture.

Next, have students at the center listen to the book again, but this time, following along in the print version simultaneously. As they listen and watch, encourage students to pay special attention to the illustrations, comparing how close their own visualizations were to the actual illustrations. Ask students, “Did the image you saw in your mind match the picture that the illustrator created?”

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 at 10:22 am and is filed under 3 to 6 Reading, Comprehension, K to 2 Reading. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.