Visualizing

When we visualize while reading, we create pictures in our minds. Visualizing helps us to relate to the characters in a text. We imagine what they look like and how they act.  When children hear a well-written text, they can mix the author's words with their own ideas to create a visual image.  The child adds his/her own experiences to the words above to create a picture of the event. Children can describe these visual images or draw a picture to illustrate the images.

When we first began practicing the strategy, students drew a picture about what they were visualizing when I was reading.  We call our visualizations "Mental Pictures."

Authors rely on us to Visualize.  Why?  TO:

• Keep us interested
• Enhance understanding
• Draw conclusions
• Recall details and text after it has been read
• Help us understand new words
• Make texts personal and memorable
• Form unique interpretations
• Clarify
• Help us when we write

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