Visualizing while reading is the ability to create movies in our minds. This helps the reader understand the text, clears up any confusions, and brings the reading to life.
Visualizing is a concrete strategy to help students with their reading comprehension.
Since most struggling readers cannot remember what they read, this strategy will help them with their recall and making meaning of text.
On the other hand, proficient readers know how to create images from their 5 senses. Well-written text allows readers to hear, taste, smell and see what they read. Teaching students how to visualize allows students to tap into their creative side of their brains.
Whether children are reading fiction or non-fiction, many of them are not explicitly taught how to create movies in their minds; instead, children are told to just do it.
Help Your Child Learn How To Visualize
So here are 3 strategies to help teach your child to learn to visualize.
- Model the Strategy. You are a great resource for your child. Model to your child what you see on the page. Call out scenes or objects that caught your attention and describe them out loud to your child. Remember to be descriptive so they can visualize your selected item. Next have them describe back to you what they saw based on your description. This activity will start to train their brain to recall what they are hearing and/or reading.
- Ask Questions. When the time is ready to get them to describe what they see while reading, stop and ask them questions to help trigger their memory. Even if your child is reading a picture book, have them close the page and ask them to remember what they remember seeing on the page. This is a good way for the child to see that it is okay that their minds created a new picture or different details then the original artist.
- Stop-n-Sketch. Using post-its, have your child stop at the end of each page and sketch what they see. If they are reading fiction, encourage them to draw pictures of the settings, the characters, and their actions. If they are reading non-fiction, encourage them to make the facts come to life by comparing the new unknown information to information they already know. For example, if your child is reading a book all about sharks, he can zoom in on the shark’s teeth. When the text gives the length of one tooth at 6.35 inches, your child can find a comparison object that they know about. For example, he can draw a banana on his post-it to make it easier to remember the specific length. If you have a child who likes to draw/sketch, this always them to shine using a learning style that they enjoy. I have a provided a sample read aloud to demonstrate how I use the Stop-n-Sketch technique.
Sketching to help visualize has many hidden benefits.
We use our brains when we draw, and this not only releases endorphins, but helps build new connections and pathways. When drawing, we actively use both sides of our brain, the right for creativity, and the left for logical thinking. This strengthens both and helps develop the ability to focus and think strategically.
https://www.invaluable.com/blog/sketch-drawing/
Reading Comprehension Tools That Work
Though there are many strategies that help children increase their reading comprehension, visualizing is an under rated strategy that can really help kids recall the the information they read in text.
The key takeaway is for children to acquire a literacy tool belt that will allow them to engage with text in a meaningful way.
Click the link and download my Freebie- Visualizing with the book Owl Moon. https://www.readinghelponline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/owl-moon-visual-graphic-organizer.pdf
And, if you feel your child would benefit from online reading sessions, I can help.
