"A Picture's Worth 1,000 Words"
Reading to Learn: Visualizing
Rationale: We all know that it is important for children to learn to read; that's why it is the main focus in the classroom today. However, if children never reach the point where they read in order to learn, all of their reading instruction was in vain. This lesson will help children comprehend what they read by teaching students how to visualize the things they read. When children learn to picture what they read, they also comprehend what they read by remembering the pictures and replaying the "movies."
Materials:
Pencils
Crayons or markers
Paper (two pieces for each
child and divided in half)
Sarah, Plain and Tall
(one copy for each child, or specified paragraphs on copy paper for each child)
Procedure:
1. First, I will explain
visualization to students. "Today,
we are going to learn how to make pictures in our minds from the things we read.
This is called visualization.
I know this is a big word, but it just means to make a picture what you
read in your head. You can think of
it as making a movie in your head. When we do this, it helps us remember what we
read. Before we begin, let's review some vocabulary.
We see the words pitchfork, bedding, and damp in the text.
A pitchfork is a tool that farmers use to move hay.
It is shaped like a large long fork. In our book, it says that Papa
leaned against his pitchfork. He
must have been moving some hay beforehand." Finish reviewing other vocabulary.
2. Second, I will model how
to visualize things. "If I read the
word 'Auburn' I picture a lot of things in my head.
I see the football stadium, Aubie, and our colors.
If I read a sentence that said, 'Suzie had fun at the Auburn football
game.' I would picture a girl at a football game. I'll draw the picture so you
can see what I see in my head."
3. Third, I will lead the
class in guided practice. "This
week, we have started to read Sarah,
Plain and Tall. I want everyone
to turn to page 14. Now that you know how to visualize, I want you to picture
what we read." Read the first
paragraph out loud. Ask children to close their eyes and draw what they see on
one side of the first piece of paper.
After students finish drawing, ask a few to share what they saw and what
they drew. Next, go to the last
paragraph on page 14. Get students to read it on their own this time, stopping
to visualize what they see. Students will draw a second picture (or describe it
in other words if they prefer). Ask the students to compare what they drew with
their neighbor's drawing.
4. Lastly, I will ask the
students to turn to page 18 and read the last paragraph.
On their second sheet of paper, I will ask them to draw a picture of what
they visualize on one side, and a description of what they visualize on the
other side. The description must be
written in their own words and explain the picture.
Resources:
Griffin, Evelyn. "Pictures
Bring Back Memories."
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/invitations/griffinrl.htm
MacLachlan, Patricia.
Sarah, Plain and Tall. New York:
Harper & Row, 1985.
Print.