Visualizing in Kindergarten part 3.

( part 1)  (part 2)

My next step is to read a book but not share the pictures. In this case I chose Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner

I choose 4 strategic visualizing  places to stop ahead of time. I give the children a large piece of paper folded into four. I number the sections 1 2 3 4

I start by telling the children that I will read them the story twice; once without the pictures, and once with the pictures. I tell them that when I stop reading, they need to go to their places and colour/draw a picture of what they are visualizing is happening in the story.

After they have done all 4 ,we share their drawings for each section, in partners. The children explain their thinking to their partner. Some children share their thinking with the whole group and I assess by making sure to listen to each child at least once.

I extend the lesson by listing any questions they might have, making connections to activities the children have done in the snow and predicting what the snowmen might do next!

Here are the visualizations for Snowmen at Night.

Each child visualized in a different way. I love the last drawing of the snowball fight. “so many snowballs you can’t see the snowman.”

Library Thing other good books for visualizing.

Other ideas for making mental images by Debbie Miller

Thanks so much to LA for letting me try these lessons out in her classroom and sharing her kids with me.

Poetry is another great way to teach visualizing, but that’s another blog!

Visualizing in Kindergarten part 2

After I have built the wizard anchor chart with them (part 1), I read them the names of different things and ask them to think about the taste/smell/sound/feel/ and look of the item I name- I try things I am sure they will know: Pizza, ice cream, then I make it harder with an idea like a puppy –that always brings laughter would you lick a puppy? Amazing how many kids have! We go into items that you wouldn’t use all your senses and I tell them they just have to think about all of the senses and decide which ones help them more.

To practice visualizing , I read them the following sentences about a lollipop (you can do anything, but I find starting with food easiest.)

Students will draw while I read.

This is a good assessment for the teacher to see if children are indeed visualizing (not every child can) and also good to have the children share with each other. It is so important to state that no two people visualize the same way, and that as long as it resembles what we were talking about, different is good. It is a great time for students to praise each other’s work and share their thinking. Here are some samples from a kindergarten class I was in.

  Book Cover for the lollipop illustrations

part 1

suggested books for teaching visualizing Library Thing

Teaching Visualizing in Kindergarten

(This is part one of three)

I love teaching comprehension strategies with little ones. They are so excited by stories and willing to try anything. When I first introduce visualizing I use a visualizing wizard on my anchor chart.I slowly turn over each of the senses as I talk about them.

I tell the children that visualizing is exciting and almost magical, because you ask your brain to think about what something sounds like, tastes like, feels like, smells like and finally looks like. This picture in your brain helps you understand what you are reading because you are connecting to things you already know.

After I have built the wizard with the children  , I read them the names of different things and ask them to think about the taste/smell/sound/feel/ and look of the item I name- I try things I am sure they will know :Pizza, ice cream, then I make it harder a puppy –that always brings laughter would you taste/lick a puppy? Amazing how many kids have! We go into items that you wouldn’t use all your senses for, and I tell them they just have to think about all of the senses and decide which ones help them more.

Recommended picture books for Visualizing from Library Thing

For more ideas on visualizing check out Adrienne Gear’s book Reading Power

Visualizing in Kindergarten part 2 part 3

Language Inquiry in a Grade 2/3 split

I had the opportunity to spend some time with a master teacher  in her grade 2/3 French Immersion split. Merci EK for sharing your knowledge, classroom and students.

As most of my readers are English speaking, I will post in English. The ideas I share will work in any language.

The teacher has been working with an elephant photo to do an French Language Arts inquiry on elephants . This inquiry incorporated essential components of teaching reading including word work , sentence work, paragraph writing as well as developing many questions in regards to social studies and science.

The words were chosen by the students after much discussion and many read alouds by the teacher.

Here ,the students are working on word properties . Their teacher has paper bags full of word study activities which are stored on the bulletin board. The children are allowed to choose the word study activities.

The students each created a non-fiction sentence which were typed up by the teacher. Each student has a set of sentences to practice fluency with,as well as to classify and use to put together their own paragraphs.

Students classified sentences in preparation for creating paragraphs.

The teacher modelled how first with a composing think-aloud and a class paragraph was created .

Here are some of the students’ paragraphs.

Students were also working on computers to write about their learning trhough the use of photo story .

Many books are necessary to take on an inquiry process such as this. It takes time and planning to bring it all together but the resulting student learning and engagement is really exciting.
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