Reading the Pictures

Each day after cleaning up their snack place, the kids choose a book to read.  We do this in all three of our classes.    This is the Threes class.  Everyone sits, everyone reads while we wait for the others to finish with snack.  Back in September, several of them would say they don't know how to read!  We talk about "picture reading" - looking at the pictures and telling the story that way.  We even practice by looking at a book together and guessing what the words might say based on what they see happening in the illustrations.  We check faces for expressions and talk about how characters might be feeling in the story.  We check for any motion in the illustrations and talk about what that tells us - like splashing water or lines behind a running character.  Although reading aloud to children is so very important, allowing them to "read" to themselves has equal value.  It builds confidence, independence and fosters imagination - just look how engaged these kids are in their "reading!"