Explicit Lesson on Reading Strategy: Visualizing
Lesson time: about 45 min.
grade level: 1-4 (adaptations may be needed for other grades)
1. State the objective:
Today you will learn how to visualize while reading. This is very important to you because: 1. it
makes reading more fun. 2. It helps you to monitor if you’re understanding what you are reading, 3. it
improves your comprehension. Good readers use this strategy.
2. Model the skill:
Teacher could say something like: “When I am reading, my favorite part is visualizing. When I was young
my dad used to tell me stories at night to help me fall to sleep. I couldn’t see any pictures or words, so I
had to use my imagination. I would close my eyes and see the main characters doing whatever he said,
just like in a movie.” Next, go over the Strategies poster (pg. 2) Teacher could then say, “I want you to turn
on your movie theatres in your head. Now I’m going to tell you a story that my dad told me. . .While telling
the story, quick sketch your thinking in boxes of graphic organizer (pg. 3) on overhead or Mobi.
Once upon a time there was a little green froggy. He liked to go on adventures. Today he decided
as he hopped down the dusty old road that he would explore a field of green grass. As he hopped by the
fence he noticed a big sign that said in bright red letters, “BEWARE!” Now, froggy wasn’t a good reader,
so he didn’t stop to figure out what that word meant. He hopped on into the beautiful field with lush
green grass and colorful butterflies flitting around. His tummy started rumbling because he forgot to eat
breakfast. So he started gobbling up those butterflies. He noticed that each time he ate one, he jumped
higher and higher. (Those butterflies were fluttering around in his belly!) Soon he was hopping above the
camouflage of the green grass. All of a sudden, he heard a loud screech. He turned around and saw a bald
eagle zooming towards him. He was so scared he let out a giant burp! Out popped a bunch of butterflies.
He quickly sailed back down to the ground. But when he hit the ground he bounced back up. He quickly
burped again, and more butterflies flew out of his mouth. Each time he burped, he bounced lower and
lower. As soon as he was hopping under the camouflage of the green grass, he quickly hopped out of the
field. As he reached the fence, he turned around and read the sign. This time he realized what the sign
said, “Beware, bald eagle will eat any little green froggies who trespass here.” He then understood how
important it was to be a good reader, and from then on he always stopped to read directions and signs.
(If you don’t want to tell this one, you can tell a favorite story, using lots of details.) When you are
finished telling the story, model your thinking by summarizing the story using the quick sketches. Write a
sentence under each box on the graphic organizer. (pg. 3) For first grade, just write one word that
describes the main idea.
3. Shared Practice/Guided Practice
Preparation ahead of time: Make a copy of visualizing organizer for each student.
“Now we will practice visualizing together.” Read the story The Secret Shortcut by Mark Teague.
Stop after each page (or two). Have students close their eyes and picture what you just read. Have
students make a quick sketch of what they see in their minds. Then, show picture from the book and
teacher example. Continue modeling to help students who are struggling until the bottom row. Have
students turn and talk to their neighbor about what they drew/wrote in the bottom row.
So, to review: Teacher models top row, then students copy. Middle row, students begin drawing
with teacher example provided quickly for students who don’t know what to draw. Bottom row, students
should be able to draw on their own, with guidance from the teacher and discussion with a buddy.
**Review predicting skills by making predictions along the way.
4. Independent Practice
On the next day, have students visualize the story you are reading in the HM program for that
week. Just take a blank piece of paper and have them fold in half, and then in fourths. (see
diagram)
Quick sketch
Draw your visualizing
beginning
middle
end
For fun! Make up your
own ending
Write a summarizing
sentence
Visualizing
1. Turn the story into
a movie in your mind.
l imagine they
hem
2. Imagine what the
l imagine her…
main characters look like.
1.
3. Picture the events
really happening!
4. If something doesn’t make
sense, reread and look for clues.
5. Use nouns, verbs and adjectives
to create mental pictures.
Visualize: draw a movie strip
Draw pictures that show key events from the story. Then write
a title under each square that explains what happened. Draw the
events in the order that they happened.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
8.
9.
7.