Have students practice visualization techniques in relation to reading and writing. A common visualization practice begins with you asking a student to picture an object and then directing her to write down a description. Once the student is able to describe the object in words, give her a story sentence and encourage her to create a mental picture of what she sees by asking questions. For example, if the sentence is, "The boy sat down," potential questions include, "What do his shoes look like?" and "What color shirt is he wearing?"
A storyboard is a visual representation of a story in chronological order. Storyboards often use a box arrangement containing the story's words and representative pictures, with the start of the story as the first box. For example, a newspaper cartoon with more than one box is a basic storyboard. The story's events unfold in boxes placed to the right of the first box. A storyboard lets a student visualize and read a corresponding story action at the same time, useful for a complex theme, complicated event or a child who has trouble with reading comprehension. Design a storyboard for a story or story event that students need help understanding. You also may ask the students to draw a storyboard for a story the class reads to test their comprehension.
A visual organizer allows a student to comprehend large or small elements of a story by creating a corresponding diagram. The type of organizer that works best for your class depends on what the students need to comprehend from the story. For example, if you want your students to understand the consequences of a particular event in a class story, design a cause and effect chart. One cause and effect format is the placement of a summary of the event in a box, with all consequences placed below the event box with connecting lines. Other organizers include story sequence charts — beginning, middle and end, for example — or descriptions of the features of a person, place or item in the story.
Various types of visual literacy software programs are available to help your students with reading comprehension and may increase classroom enthusiasm. Some programs track a child's understanding of what she's reading by displaying questions, words or photos at a specific part of the story and asking for a reply. Other programs use highlighting to present critical sections of the story visually to the student, displaying the parts of the story she needs to understand to comprehend the entire work. While software won't replace your instruction, some programs help students who struggle to identify story elements and assist you in gauging individual comprehension levels.