Visualizing
Visualizing involves constructing a mental image or using graphic organizer to help construct meaning.
1. Word Walls and Anchor Charts
This strategy is more commonly used in primary settings, but can have value in secondary settings as well - often in the form of an anchor chart. Word walls provide a way for students to visual concepts or topic specific terminology. Words can be accompanied by a definition or a picture and can be a support for students while they complete independent work. Anchor charts can be about any topic or subject.
2. Sketching
While this strategy might seem simplistic, sketching an idea, feeling, or thought derived from a text allows a student to represent information in a different way than writing a reflection. Being able to represent information in multiples ways often leads to students having a deeper understanding of the text or concept at hand.
This strategy is more commonly used in primary settings, but can have value in secondary settings as well - often in the form of an anchor chart. Word walls provide a way for students to visual concepts or topic specific terminology. Words can be accompanied by a definition or a picture and can be a support for students while they complete independent work. Anchor charts can be about any topic or subject.
2. Sketching
While this strategy might seem simplistic, sketching an idea, feeling, or thought derived from a text allows a student to represent information in a different way than writing a reflection. Being able to represent information in multiples ways often leads to students having a deeper understanding of the text or concept at hand.
3. Vocabulary Squares
For some students creating a visual picture of difficult words might be beneficial. Vocabulary squares can provide an avenue for students to move beyond mindless memorization to constructing meaning of words and the contexts they are in. Vocabulary squares can be changed to suit the needs of the individual or class; in their article "Vocabulary Learning with the Verbal-Visual Word Association Strategy", Hopkins and Bean show the diversity of a vocabulary square by adjusting it to focus on roots and prefixes (p. 112). Other vocabulary squares ask students to draw a picture, use the word in a sentence, find synonyms and antonyms, and provide a definition. Below I have attached an example of a vocabulary square.
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4. Graphic Organizers
Graphic organizers are yet another tool and strategy that can be used in assisting reluctant readers. Often, graphic organizers can help to create and organize ideas by transforming the organizational pattern of the words into a diagram so that the reader can make connections, inferences and draw meaning from the texts. (Dawe, Duncan, & Mathieu, 1999, p.33). Graphic organizers can be used for a variety tasks: note taking, writing thesis statements, and collecting information. Using this strategy can provide an avenue for students to accurately collect, process, interpret and refer back to information for future use. 5. Think Alouds When students have begun to show a mastery in physical visualization, think alouds may challenge readers to construct mental images in a new way. To start, the educator can model this approach by using phrases like, "I see this..." or "When I read this I felt this --, what did you feel? Why? or "This phrase might be important, why?" If you want students to focus in on creating a mental image ask them to close their eyes while you are reading the text aloud and think about key aspects of the text - think about the words that activate the senses, focus on the words that paint a picture in your head. |