Visualising and Verbalising

“If I can’t picture it, I can’t understand it.”

-Albert Einstein
 Story of Tanya
Tanya reads very well and is fairly good with her spellings. She
finds herself getting lost whenever any text is read out to her
or when she is reading it herself. Although she can read, she is
still not able to comprehend because she can’t understand
what is presented to her orally or in writing.
 IMAGERY
Two primary deficits prevent students from performing to their reading
potential:
1) Weak decoding
2) Weak comprehension
Both these processes use imagery . There are two types of imagery related to
processing language

Imagery
Concept Imagery a dynamic type Symbol Imagery- a static type of
of imagery for processing wholes imagery type of processing parts.
 Symptoms of Weak Concept Imagery

Difficulty with
1.Critical, logical, abstract thinking and problem solving
2.Written language comprehension
3.Oral language comprehension Note from Tanya’s teacher
4.Following directions I see Tanya having trouble with the following
thing, I hope you can help her.
5.Expressing language orally
1) Memory and comprehension
6.Expressing language in writing 2) Gets bored easily
7.Grasping humor 3) Can’t do word problems in Maths
8.Interpreting social situations 4) Seems to miss the main idea – only gets
parts of what I say or she reads.
9.Cause and effect
5) Difficulty following directions
10.Attention and focus 6) Day dreams and is spaced out in class
 The Steps of Visualizing and Verbalizing p. 45

1. The Climate
2. Picture to Picture
3. Word Imaging
4. Single Sentence Imaging
5. Sentence by Sentence Imaging
6. Sentence by Sentence with HOTS
7. Multiple Sentence Imaging with HOTS
8. Whole Paragraph Imaging with HOTS
 Step 1 – The Climate
Goal: The goal is to briefly explain to the child what and why

To set the climate , give a brief explanation of what you are going to do and why. Simplify
the explanation by drawing and talking at the same time. For example- Ask the child to
draw a house and write the word house and explain.
 Step 2 – Picture to Picture
Goal: The goal is to develop the child’s ability to verbalise from a given picture
and to increase the length and complexity of the students expressive language

Structured words

1. what 2. size 3. colour 4. number

5. shape 6. where 7. movement 8. mood

9. background 10. perspective 11. when 12. sound

 While choosing a picture keep in mind -
• One central figure
• Very little detail on the centre
• Very little detail on the background
• Good use of colour
 Part A-Picture to Picture Give demo

1. Give the picture to the child without seeing.

2. Ask the child to describe the picture
3. Ask questions (keep the structure word cards in mind)
4. The child must verbalise each structured word
5. Parent to summarize saying “ you made me a picture of …..”
6. Parent and child to see the picture and both compare parent’s
summary of the picture.
Part B- Imagery Practice After Picture Description

1. Parent and child look again at the picture they just described
2. Parent takes the picture away
3. Child describes his/her imagery saying , “ I pictured…”
4. You may ask direct question what did you picture size/ mood …
5. When the child has completed describing her imagery, they look at
the picture again.

Lot of practice is required at the this level with different

pictures.
 Step 3- Word Imaging
Goal: The goal is to develop the child’s ability to visualize and verbalise the smallest unit of language – a word

Part A – word to picture

1. Parent says a word and then shows the picture of an elephant.
2. Child studies the picture and then turns the picture over
3. Child verbalises her imagery recall.
4. When the child’s verbal description is complete , parent checks
through the structured words to be sure all the relevant details
are included.
Part B –Noun Imaging
While choosing a noun, choose appropriate words to visualise . For example tree is a
familiar basic noun but low on imagery . Few common nouns which are high on imagery
are clown, house, birthday cake, doll, tiger, and other animals.

1. Parent says a known noun and ask the child to picture it.
2. Child verbalises his /her imagery
3. Parent questions with structured words and ask questions what
are you picturing for size/mood….
4. Child checks through the structured word for details
5. Parent to summarize saying “ you made me a picture of …..”

Demo if time permits

Part B –Noun Imaging
While choosing a noun, choose appropriate words to visualise . For example tree is a
familiar basic noun but low on imagery . Few common nouns which are high on imagery
are clown, house, birthday cake, doll, tiger, and other animals.

1. Parent says a known noun and ask the child to picture it.
2. Child verbalises his /her imagery
3. Parent questions with structured words and ask questions what
are you picturing for size/mood….
4. Child checks through the structured word for details
5. Parent to summarize saying “ you made me a picture of …..”

Demo if time permits

 Single Sentence Imaging

Goal : The goal is to develop the student’s ability to

visualize and verbalise a single sentence

• Use the familiar noun that the child has visualized for example cat.
• Use the noun in a simple sentence. Cat climbed up the big tree.
• Ask- What do those words make you picture.
• Ask questions using all the structured words
• Summarise the description shared by the child.
Parent creates a sentence using a previously Child creates imagery ; parent to aid by
known noun. questioning.
Child checks through structure words, and parent summarizes.
 Sentence by Sentence Imaging

Introduce strategy of R.I.D.E.R -use picture cues to enhance understanding of

strategy. R- Read the text
I- Imagine the text
D- Describe the text
E- Evaluate
R- Read on / Re read
For RIDER activity choose a simple and short story. For example

The yellow dog dug a hole. He picked up a white bone in his mouth. Then he dropped the
bone into the hole.

The old man held camera. A yellow butterfly landed on the red rose. The old man camera
clicked, the butterfly flew away.
 Simple to Complex sentences
Primary level
The grey squirrel ran up the tree. He went inside a hole in the tree trunk. There he ate nuts
and watched the snow fall.
a) What did you picture the squirrel going into?
b) What did you picture the squirrel eating ?
c) Why do you think he put them there?
d) What is a good title for this story?

Level 1
The monkey held the green balloon by its strings. Oops, he let the string go. The balloon flew
up into the sky. The monkey jumped up and down! (4 sentences )
e) What did you picture the monkey holding?
f) Why do you think the monkey jumped up and down?
g) Was he happy, sad or mad? Why ?
h) What do you picture happening next?
i) What is a good title of this story?
Level 2
It was a dark stormy night. Zap !A bright flash of lightning lit the sky. All the lights in the neighbourhood went out.
Dogs are barking. Then something happened that made the children cover their heads in their beds!
(5 sentences)
a) What colour did you picture the lightning?
b) How did the neighbourhood look after the lightning?
c) Why do you think the children covered their heads?
d) What do you think might have scared the children?
e) What is a good title for this story?

Level 2
The little rabbit hopped over to the bush. Where was his mother? He started to cry. Then his mother hopped out with
a carrot in her mouth. (4 sentences )
f) Where did you picture the rabbit hopping to?
g) Why do you think the little rabbit started to cry?
h) Why do you think his mother had gone?
i) What do you think the little rabbit will do next?
j) What is the main idea of this story?