
Warming up before you exercise is considered a really good idea. It allows your body to prepare for the workout ahead – you stretch your muscles, you increase your heart rate and you are able to “get in the mindset” and prepare for your workout. Warming up is also important for students before you read aloud to them and taking a picture walk is one way to do this.
Picture walks generate interest and excitement and can also serve as a preview for important concepts and vocabulary that will make your read aloud more accessible. In other words, if you take a picture walk through a book, your students will “get in the mindset,” be better prepared, and more engaged while you read.
The first step in doing a picture walk is planning. When you have chosen the book you are going to read to the students, read it yourself first. As you are reading it, look closely at the illustrations, the text and the structure of the book. What elements of the book will be challenging for the children? What elements of the book will excite or surprise the children? How can you grow their eagerness to hear the story read aloud? How can you lay the foundation for their comprehension?
While you are doing your picture walk in front of the children, you might choose to:
While you are reading the book, remember to return to some of the predictions the children made to confirm if they were correct. This reinforces their thinking and supports their enthusiasm.
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