Snap a Picture!
Reading to Learn
Rationale: Learning to comprehend text as they
read is an important skill that children need to learn to become
expert readers.
After students learn how to read, the most important to
practice is comprehension. It is important for students to
visualize what they are reading because it helps them to better
understand what is happening in the story.
When readers can picture the story unfolding in their
mind, they become actively engaged in the meaning of the text.
This lesson will help students learn to visualize what
they are reading by creating mental images of their reading in
their mind.
We will do this by practicing visualizing with a variety
of different readings and using pictures to explain the events
of the story.
Materials:
1.
Everything on a Waffle
by Polly Horvath (1 copy of the book for each student)
2. "I Bought A
Pet Tomato" by Kenn Nesbitt (1 copy of the poem for each
student)
3. Drawing
paper and crayons for each student
4. Assessment
checklist
Procedure:
1. "Today we
are going to learn how to visualize something while we are
reading.
Who can tell me what visualize means?"
Allow children time to respond.
"That’s right, to visualize something means to see it in
your mind even though it’s really not there. I’m sure everyone has
visualized something before.
Let’s practice for just a minute.
I want everyone to close your eyes and think about a trip
to the beach while I read.
Read:
"I stepped into the soft,
warm sand.
It was the first day of vacation and I couldn't wait to
jump into the ocean waves.
The seagulls swooped over my head while I tried to get
settled into the sand.
It was very crowded at the beach today."
Allow time for
children to visualize. "When
I call on you, I want you to tell me what you see. (Allow time
for students to think, and then call on them) Great!
You saw waves crashing, sand, beach blankets and
umbrellas.
What you just did was visualization."
2.
Give each student a
copy of "I Bought A Pet Tomato" by Kenn Nesbitt. "Now I want you
to silently read the poem to yourself." Allow time for
children to read while you also read the poem silently. After
students have read poem silently, read it aloud to them while
they close their eyes and visualize.
""When I read this I imagined a little tomato with a face
trying to do all the things people do! First I imagine a little boy throwing
sticks and balls at a tomato.
Then I visualize the tomato running around the yard with
little legs."
I want you all to tell me some of the pictures you had in
your mind when I read this."
Hold up a previously drawn picture of what you visualized
while reading the poem. Raise your hand and tell me something
you visualized." (Allow share time).
4. Give each
student a copy of Everything
on a Waffle.
"This is a new book we will be reading in class.
It is about a girl named Primrose who loses her parents
in a storm at sea. Primrose
begins to have lots of accidents and she is moved from one
family to another. Primrose is even put in foster care with a
family in another city.
She begins to feel as if nothing will ever go right, and
she will never find a good home.
To find out what happens to Primrose we have to read the
book.
Now I want you to read the first chapter silently and
draw a picture of one thing you visualize while reading."
Allow time for students to read and draw.
Assessment: Have each student come in front of
class and tell about hi or her drawing.
Assess children’s drawings based on if they depict what
the author was trying to make the reader visualize and the
children’s ability to describe the picture to the class. Use
this checklist for assessment:
☑ Student
accurately depicted events
☑Student
accurately explained the events in the chapter
Reference:
Nesbitt, K. "I
Bought a Pet Tomato."
Reading Genie: http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie
Horvath, Polly.
Everything on a Waffle. 2001. United States: Sunburst
Books.
Byrd, Sarah.
Snap a Picture.
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/invent/byrdrl.html