Visualizing definition: "Readers create images in their minds that reflect or represent the ideas in the text. These images may include any of the five senses and serve to enhance understanding of the text." (Reading.ecb.org, 2014) Students are bombarded with the visual images on TV, phones, computer, and video games. As a result, students often view reading as a passive activity. Visualization can help transform students from passive to active readers while improving their reading comprehension.
Visualizing research: "Research shows visualizing helps students comprehend a text because students are using their senses to picture what is happening as they read." (Educationworld.com, 2014) Students might visualize a picture in their head while reading based off a prior experience they have had that connects them to the text with that specific prior experience image. Visualizing helps students connect the text to their own experiences; therefore students are making connections with the text and comprehending it.
How you may use it: A teacher can use this strategy by explaining the concept of using images represents information. The teacher will show 4 examples of different images that represent different content areas. In small groups, have students read a section or chapter of a text and create two images of their own. Hang their images up in the classroom or hallway to exhibit the classroom gallery. Another way a teacher can use this strategy is by introducing a story wheel, which looks like a pie. It's broken into 6 segments with a small circle in the middle. Have students read the story. Then, have the students illustrate the most important parts of the story (beginning, middle, end, characters, setting, and etc.) in each pie section. Students can also write on the pie section, but it's encourage they also draw a picture too.
How it will benefit student learning: This strategy benefits student learning because it's fun for students to create images in their mind and display them on paper. Students gain comprehension of a text by using words to create mental images. As students practice more with this skill, it becomes more automatic. Students who visualize as they read not only have a richer reading experience but can recall what they have read for longer periods of time. (Harvey & Goudvis 2000)
Writing component of the strategy: W.6.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Writing is tied into this strategy because if students are doing a story wheel or any other project, students may like to write what they are drawing. Some students, as for myself, write about what I am drawing because I'm not the best drawer so it's easy to write what I'm drawing because then people can comprehend my image and visualize what I drew should look like in their mind.
2 videos with short summary: The first video talks about how to get students not be bored and use their visualizing skills. It gives an example for the teacher to read the text, but before reading ask the students to close their eyes and visualize what the text might be about based upon the images on the cover. What images do you see happing from the ones already presented to you? Then after reading certain chapters, the teacher can ask students to visualize and share with their partner what images they saw. This video is engaging for students because it has them using their visualizing skills and gives students a step by step how to gain and use visualizing skills. It's great for instruction because it reinforces the concept after the teacher explains it. The teacher can assess students based upon their answers to his or her visualizing questions.
The second video is very engaging for students because it's fun! It has music, but the lyrics are related to visualizing. It sings the six steps what visualizing readers do. They make predictions, connections, ask questions, and more. Students can sing along on the screen. It's a great instruction tool because students will get hooked on the song and it will help them remember visualizing information if they can put a tune to it. A teacher can assess students asking specific questions from the video.
Visualizing research: "Research shows visualizing helps students comprehend a text because students are using their senses to picture what is happening as they read." (Educationworld.com, 2014) Students might visualize a picture in their head while reading based off a prior experience they have had that connects them to the text with that specific prior experience image. Visualizing helps students connect the text to their own experiences; therefore students are making connections with the text and comprehending it.
How you may use it: A teacher can use this strategy by explaining the concept of using images represents information. The teacher will show 4 examples of different images that represent different content areas. In small groups, have students read a section or chapter of a text and create two images of their own. Hang their images up in the classroom or hallway to exhibit the classroom gallery. Another way a teacher can use this strategy is by introducing a story wheel, which looks like a pie. It's broken into 6 segments with a small circle in the middle. Have students read the story. Then, have the students illustrate the most important parts of the story (beginning, middle, end, characters, setting, and etc.) in each pie section. Students can also write on the pie section, but it's encourage they also draw a picture too.
How it will benefit student learning: This strategy benefits student learning because it's fun for students to create images in their mind and display them on paper. Students gain comprehension of a text by using words to create mental images. As students practice more with this skill, it becomes more automatic. Students who visualize as they read not only have a richer reading experience but can recall what they have read for longer periods of time. (Harvey & Goudvis 2000)
Writing component of the strategy: W.6.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Writing is tied into this strategy because if students are doing a story wheel or any other project, students may like to write what they are drawing. Some students, as for myself, write about what I am drawing because I'm not the best drawer so it's easy to write what I'm drawing because then people can comprehend my image and visualize what I drew should look like in their mind.
2 videos with short summary: The first video talks about how to get students not be bored and use their visualizing skills. It gives an example for the teacher to read the text, but before reading ask the students to close their eyes and visualize what the text might be about based upon the images on the cover. What images do you see happing from the ones already presented to you? Then after reading certain chapters, the teacher can ask students to visualize and share with their partner what images they saw. This video is engaging for students because it has them using their visualizing skills and gives students a step by step how to gain and use visualizing skills. It's great for instruction because it reinforces the concept after the teacher explains it. The teacher can assess students based upon their answers to his or her visualizing questions.
The second video is very engaging for students because it's fun! It has music, but the lyrics are related to visualizing. It sings the six steps what visualizing readers do. They make predictions, connections, ask questions, and more. Students can sing along on the screen. It's a great instruction tool because students will get hooked on the song and it will help them remember visualizing information if they can put a tune to it. A teacher can assess students asking specific questions from the video.