| Literacy Training: The Picture Walk |
Context: |
| A picture walk can establish interest in the story and set up positive expectations about what is to come. It also reinforces the strategy of relying on visual cues while reading, a good strategy for all types of reading sessions — reading aloud, shared reading, or helping the child to read independently. Do this activity with beginning tutors as they prepare to meet their first tutees. Having tutors practice together will also socialize your group and open them up to collective enjoyment of children's literature. |
Goals: |
The picture walk allows reading tutors to:
- Explore how children see and interpret visual images
- Discuss and predict the shape of the story from visual cues
- Help children connect visual images to their own experiences and activate prior knowledge
- Let children practice holding the book and turning the pages
- Model enthusiasm for books by sharing stories and experience related to the topic(s)
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Materials/Preparation: |
| Gather several good, award-winning children's books for tutors to use in this session. For suggestions, ask your local children's librarian or consult one of the many Web sites with recommended book lists, such as:
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Activity: |
Ask participants to select a book and find a partner (preferably someone they don't know very well). Tell the group they will be doing a "picture walk rehearsal," and model a picture walk for them before they begin. Some useful questions/prompts to model include:
- Let's look at the front cover. What do you think this story is about?
- Do you have any experience with ___________? An experience I had was…
- Turn the page. What do you see? What do you think is happening?
- What do you think will happen next?
- Here we are almost at the end of the book. How will the story end?
- What are you curious to know more about in the story? I wonder if….
When one partner has conducted their picture walk, ask pairs to trade roles. When they are done, ask participants to reflect on the activity. |
Key Questions and Points to Remember: |
Conducting a picture walk before reading a story allows tutors to:
- Create interest in reading the story and activate prior knowledge about the topic
- Learn about a child's experience related to the story
- Practice using visual cues (pictures) as a reading strategy
- Think about questions to explore while reading
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Developed by LEARNS, a partnership of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (1-800-361-7890) and Bank Street College of Education (1-800-930-5664). For additional activities or assistance, please call. |
