Rationale: For better comprehension when reading, children should be able to visualize what they are reading. There is consistent evidence that visualization, or constructing images, facilitates childrenâs learning of text. In this lesson, students will visualize images from the text and create an oral collage.

Materials needed: The chapter book, ãSarah Plain and Tallä, paper (in double entry journals), and pencil

Procedures: 1.) I will tell the students: ãWe will learn to comprehend better through visualizationä, then I will ask the students:  ãHave you ever read a chapter book with no pictures?ä  If so, ãDid you visualize how the illustrations would look in the story?ä  ãDid you know that if you close your eyes and think about the story, you can visualize illustrations in your mind?ä
2.) I will tell the students we will read a chapter book with very few illustrations, called ãSarah Plain and Tallä. I will ask the students to close their eyes and visualize images while I read excerpts from the first chapter in the book. When I finish reading, I will ask students to share what images they saw. Next, I will ask the students to visualize with their eyes open as I read the entire chapter.

3.)  Next I will ask students to read a page silently and visualize what they are reading. Following each visualization exercise, students will share their images with the rest of the class.  I will ask the students to write down their favorite line of imagery from the text. Four-five students come up to the front of the class and, while the rest of the class has their eyes closed, create an oral collage by reading their selected passages and leaving space between speakers so the class can visualize each passage. Then the students who are visualizing will be asked to describe their visualizations in a double-entry reading journal.

Assessment: Students will be assessed on whether they quoted a passage from the text and included an accompanying visualization.
Also, I will ask the children to visualize some passages I will read to them.   The students will tell me if they can completely visualize the passage or not and why?
1. There are some fish swimming in a pond that is completely dark trying to find food, but the fish are only allowed to eat the orange and blue colored food.
2. It is a dark night.  The trees are blowing in the wind.  The leaves are brown and falling off the trees.  Children are dressed in costumes going from door to door.
3. It wanders in the forest in search of food.  Creeping and crawling through the bushes and trees.  Finally the creature finds what it is looking for.  That something is small and green and is frightened by the sight of the creature.

References:
www.lessonplanspage.com/LAIncreaseReadCompThroughVisualizationsIdea25.htm (Marcy Winograd-"How to increase reading comprehension through visualization)

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