Keri Trahan
Demonstration: Creating Story Images
Language Arts being taught: Reading
Resource:
Onofrey, K., & Theurer, J. (2007). what's a teacher to do? Suggestions for comprehension
strategy instruction. Reading Teacher, 60(7), 681-684. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
The above resource is a great guide to performing a lesson where new readers create
visual images while they are reading a book or piece of poetry. By using this technique the
teacher is helping the students visualize what is taking place in the story. This article suggests
putting a piece of writing on an overhead projector and write down the mental images that the
reader would make while reading the story. Next, the journal suggest giving the students a
different piece of literature, just a paragraph or two, that they can read and then draw what
they are picturing. This practice will help new readers comprehend what they are reading and
give them great practice at creating mental images as they read.
Resource:
Noden, H., & Moss, B. (1995). Nurturing artistic images in student reading and writing. Reading Teacher,
48(6), 532. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
The above resource informs teachers about the importance of getting students to create
mental images while reading and writing. A student’s ability to create mental images is very
important in their future ability to being able to comprehend complex literature and improve
their writing skills. The journal recommends having students read a selection of literature, then
sketch what the passages meant to them. The students can then share their sketches to the
class or in small groups. They can also discuss the differences of interpretations, and how these
differences can affect their understanding of the passage.
Instructional Purpose: To help students create mental images as they read in order to better
comprehend the passage.
Procedure to use when applying strategy:
To begin:
Pick out a selection of literature that you would like the students to read
o This selection should be full of images that the students should be able to picture
in their mind as they read
o Does not have to be a long reading, just one or two good paragraphs would work
o Can also use a picture book, or poetry
Then decide on how you will present the text
o This can be on using a document camera and done as a whole class lesson or the
selection of literature can be copied and given individually to each child
o The teacher could also read aloud the selection to the entire class
Instructions:
Explain to students the importance of developing mental images as they read to help
them comprehend the material
Creating mental images is when a person reads a passage and visualizes what is taking
place
Give an example of creating a mental image by reading a selection of literature, and
describe what mental images you are making as you are reading to help you
understand and visualize what is taking place in the passage
Tell the students that you want them to do the same thing with a selected piece of
literature
At this time you can pass out the reading selection or show it on the document camera
if you want to do the activity as a whole class instruction lesson
Ask the students to either write out their mental images that they create as they read
or the students can actually draw what they are picturing in their mind
o As a teacher what you decide to do here can depend on the age of your
students and their abilities
o To work on the student’s descriptive writing you might want them to write out
their mental images. If your students are younger and you just want them to
learn how to create mental images you may prefer to have them draw instead
of write.
As you are reading the passage out loud or having the students read to themselves
make sure that they are remembering to create mental images
o This can be done by walking around and asking questions as the students work
by themselves or if you are reading aloud pause to allow the students time to
draw or write and remind them of their task
Activity Review:
Once the students have completed their work you can have them share their work with
the class as a whole or with a partner
o Doing this will allow the students to think of how others created mental images
of the literary passage
Ask the students what they thought of this activity
o Was it hard to develop a mental image that went along with the text? If so why?
o Did you notice other people with different drawings or writing? Did you
interpret the information differently than others? Did you miss anything that
another person remembered as they were reading?
o How do you think this activity helped you comprehend the reading?
o Tell the students that they will continue to practice this throughout the year
Assessment:
You can collect the student’s drawings or writing once they complete the assignment to
assess their understanding of creating mental images
If you do this lesson more than once keep a collection of the student’s work and observe
the progression of their work from the first time doing this activity to their last