Picture This!
Reading to
Learn
By:
Nikki Tucker
Rationale:
To become
expert readers, children need to learn an important skill to comprehend what
they are reading. Visualization is one way readers can build comprehension.
This is important for students so they can have "a
movie" of what's going on throughout their reading. When readers can actively
engage themselves in the story, they are able to grasp the meaning of the text.
This lesson will help students learn to visualize by creating mental pictures in
their mind. Students will listen and read to practice this.
Materials:
Class Copies of Shel Silverstein's Peanut-Butter
Sandwich Poem
Leaves
by David Ezra Stein
Drawing Paper and Crayons
Assessment Checklist
Procedure:
1. "Today we
are going to talk about visualizing. Does anyone know what this means?" Allow
time for student's answers. "Well, this means to read and see a picture or a
movie in our mind. You direct your own movie in your head by listening to all
the details that you hear. When I visualize I can hear how a voice sounds,
imagine how food tastes, and picture what someone or something looks like.
2.
"When we read to ourselves, what do we call this?" Silent reading. "Yes, we do
call it silent reading. We do this so we can read as much as we want, quietly so
we don't bother anyone else." We are going to silent read a poem by Shel
Silverstein.
3.
Have students silently read the poem Peanut-Butter Sandwich. "When the
poem discusses the 'brown and sticky mounds' it is referring to the gloopy,
gloppy peanut butter's color and how it sticks everywhere in mountain like
things called mounds." Allow time for
students to read the poem "When I read this poem, I picture a king covered in
peanut butter from head to toe. I
got this from the poem because it said his scepter and his royal gowns, his
regal throne and golden crowns were brown and sticky from the mounds and
drippings from each peanut-butter sandwich." Show students a picture of what you
drew that you saw then have them share what they pictured.
4.
Give students a copy of Leaves. "This book is about a bear that sees
fallen autumn leaves and burrows into them for a long, long nap. When he wakes
up spring has sprung and he gets to appreciate all the new growing leaves and
plants again!"
Have students read the book silently or back and forth with a partner. Once the
students read through the book, have them draw a picture of what they just read.
Let students share their drawings.
Assessment:
Have students come to the front of the class and explain their drawings. Assess
students with a checklist
Students accurately depict the story using pictures
Students accurately retold the story
References:
"Can You See What I See?" Lee, Laurin. Invitations Spring 2011. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/invitations/leerl.htm
Shel Silverstein Peanut-Butter Sandwich Poem: http://jdsaenz1.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/pbpoem.html
Leaves
by David Ezra Stein