Visual Representations of Stories
Effective with students of all ages: Adapt materials appropriate for the students’ ages
- Connects ASL to English/English language to visual representations
- Reinforces English language structures
- Reinforces vocabulary concepts and use
- Reinforces reading and writing skills
Strategy Steps:
- Explain that the three pictures you have tell a story and that after discussion of each picture, the children will write a story about them.
- Show them the three pictures.
- Show them the first picture again. Give them time to look at and note the details.
- Discuss the picture with the students. Note all the important information.
- With each subsequent picture, students take more responsibility for the description.
- Younger students dictate a story to the teacher who writes it on the board. Guide them using questioning, if necessary, such as: What happened next? How did Susie feel? I think something important happened before that. What was it?
- When the story is completed, read it to the children. Ask if they want to make any changes.
- Have the students read the story.
- Take advantage of all opportunities to
discuss English syntax and vocabulary. Ask
questions such as:
- What words did you use to describe Susie’s pet?
- What sentence tells us about Robbie’s problem?
- The students decide how they want to publish the story.
- Older students can write their stories independently using the process writing steps.
- Monitor each student’s writing noting English language skills that have been attained and those that need direct instruction.
Variation: To introduce students to expository writing, use concept books. Concept books describe the various characteristics of a single object (e.g., kites) or a concept (e.g., toys, opposites). With younger children, first discuss the book and then have them describe the concept in writing.