Visualizing Text

Visualization is a crucial strategy for improving reading comprehension and teaching reading effectively. It empowers children to use their imagination to create mental images based on the text they are reading. This process not only aids understanding but also allows young readers to form a deeper connection with the story or article. By using the visualizing reading strategy and developing visualization skills, children can unlock a whole new world within the text.

Keep reading for tips, activities, and a free resource that’ll help your child improve reading comprehension skills!

How can children learn to visualize text?

Visualization is a key reading comprehension strategy that helps children understand a text. To improve reading comprehension in younger children, start with picture books and gradually transition to chapter books. During read-aloud sessions, focus on describing the text in detail to build their mental pictures.

Background knowledge plays a crucial role when teaching students visualization skills. One way to ensure that your child has the prior knowledge they need to successfully visualize a text or passage is by using an anchor chart. An anchor chart is typically a colorful classroom poster that helps children remember and apply important reading skills and strategies. Doing this will encourage your child to match the text's themes and ideas to their own experiences and emotions. This connection forms a more meaningful and memorable visualization.

Teaching students to read between the lines and extract the small but important details from the text is a valuable skill. These details contribute to the creation of mental images, including characters, settings, events, and emotions depicted by the author. Visualization is an effective strategy to understand and engage with a text fully, making it an indispensable tool in the journey of improving reading comprehension.

Visualization activities to try with your child

Model visualizing

Read a passage and then pause to point out the words that would help your child to visualize what is happening. Get them to write these down clearly on a whiteboard or piece of paper for reference and to help them make connections. They should then use these keywords to draw a picture of what was described.

Draw the description

Give your child an everyday object to draw, such as a car. Then incrementally add details to the description. This could progress as follows:

1. Draw a car.
2. Draw a yellow car.
3. Draw a large yellow car.
4. Draw a large yellow car with a red stripe.

Your child can then compare the car they drew during Stage A with the car at Stage D.

The five senses

Read a passage with your child and then ask them the following:

• What can you see?
• What can you hear?
• What can you smell?
• What can you feel?
• What can you taste?

Through this hands-on sensory approach, they’ll gain a deeper understanding of what they have just read.

Before, during, and after

This is a great activity to do when reading a short text or book with your child. Begin by asking them to draw an image based on the book's title. Then stop part-way through the book and ask them to draw another picture. Finally, ask them to draw a third image after they have finished the book. Compare the three images to see how their mental visualization developed throughout the process.

Free resource

You can practice reading skills with your child by downloading this fun resource based on the first book in the Night Zookeeper series - it includes lots of activities, writing templates, and much more!

Note: this is the same PDF available across all the Reading Comprehension section.