Read
it, Think it, Draw it!
Reading
to Learn - Visualization
Shelley
Steiner
Rationale:
To become a great reader, one must know how to
comprehend the text as they read. A very important skill that readers
can use
to help build comprehension is visualization . Being able to
visualize
the events in a story helps students to know the plot of the
story. As
readers begin picturing the story in their mind, they become actively
engaged
in the story. This lesson will help students learn to visualize what
they are
reading by assisting them in creating mental images of the reading in
their
minds.
Materials:
-
What Do You Say When a Monkey Acts This Way? by Jane
Belk Moncure (1 copy of text only for each student)
-
Copy of poem for each
student
-White
paper and crayons
for each student
-Assessment
checklist
for each student (in lesson plan)
-model
drawing for
visualization sentences
Procedure:
1.
"Today
we are going to practice visualizing
story as we read it. Does anyone know what it means to visualize?
"You
are exactly right; when you visualize something, you picture it in your
mind
based on details in the story even though a picture is not actually
provided. I’m sure everyone has visualized something before
whether you
realize it or not.
2.
Let’s
practice for just a minute. I want
everyone to close your eyes and think about walking on the beach while
I read.
3.
Read
aloud your visualization passage to the
class:
"The
sand feels hot
on my bare feet. I felt the burning hot sun rays bursting heat on my
cool body.
The smell of the salty sea water poured into my nose and the soft
sounds of the
ocean covered my ears. I am so relaxed at the beach."
4.
Observe
the students…after most students have
opened there eyes and spent time for visualizing announce
"Now,
if I call out your name from my name jar, I want you to
tell me what you saw as I read about the beach. (Make sure to give the
students
extra time to think of how to explain what they saw) "Good
job students! I will take a guess and say that you each
saw a person (maybe yourself) walking on the beach noticing things with
your
senses…heat, sounds, smells."
5.
"Alright
you all are doing great! I have
another questions for the class,what is silent reading?
6.
Outstanding!
Silent reading is when we
read in silence to ourselves so that we don't bother others around
us.
When we read silently, we can see pictures of what is happening in the
story in
our own minds, and that is how you visualize a story.
7.
Give
each student a copy of "The Library –
A Magic Castle," by Jane Belk Moncure. "Now I want you to
silently read the poem to yourself." Allow time for children to
read
while you also read the poem silently.
8.
After
students have read poem silently, read it
aloud to them while they close their eyes and visualize. "When I
read this poem, I saw a castle like Cinderella’s that was high above
the clouds
with tall windows with words on them. Raise your hand and tell me
something you
visualized."
9.
(Allow
share time). Hold up a previously
drawn picture of what you visualized while reading the poem.
"This
is my picture of what I visualized in my head." Explain
to the class why you drew what you did.
*a
castle sitting on clouds with huge colorful windows covered in random
words.
10.
Give
each student a text copy of What Do You Say When a Monkey
Acts This Way?
.
11.
Say,"This
is a new book we will read in
class today. It is about Little Monkey who stays pretty busy every day
of the
week. Little Monkey manages to keep up his good manners the whole time.
To find
out what happens to Little Monkey let’s read the story.
12.
Tell
the students, "I want you to read the
story silently and draw a picture of one thing you visualize while you
are
reading." Allow time for
students to read and draw.
13.
Finally,
reread the story to the class and show
the illustrators pictures.
Assessment:
Each
student will present their own image by telling the class about
the image
they drew. Assess the student’s drawings based on that the
pictures
depict an event in the story as well as their ability of telling the
visualization
to the class.
Use
a checklist for
assessment:
Student
accurately depicted an event ________
Student
accurately explained an event from the book _________.
Comprehension:
Could
you pick one action (like Little Monkey's)
for each day of the week that you could do? Explain
How
did you remember that particular part of the
text?
What
could be an alternative ending to the
story?
"The
Library – A Magic
Castle"
Come
to the
magic castle
When
you are
growing tall.
Rows
upon rows
of Word Windows
Line
every
single wall.
They
reach up
high,
As
high as the
sky,
And
you want to
open them all.
For
every time
you open one,
A
new adventure
has begun.
References:
Monsure, Jane
Belk. What Do
You Say When a Monkey Acts This Way? The Child’s World, Inc. 1988.
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/odysseys/mazzarl.html