Movies of the Mind...Chapter 2 in 7 Keys to Comprehension

     I remember attending a conference in Chicago where Debbie Miller (a reading specialist) talked about teaching her first graders many of the comprehension strategies discussed in this book.  I was fascinated and intrigued by her ideas and filed it away in my brain in a file labeled "Further Processing Needed."  Several days later I was reading a book and suddenly it hit me.

       "I just made a mental image!"  It wasn't a page later that I caught myself doing it again.     "I'm doing it again!"  Here I had been reading all these years and doing things that all readers do, and yet never knew and had never been taught the importance of doing it.  I was hooked from that point on and am hopefully creating some readers along the way.

     This chapter points us in the direction of making "movies" or pictures in our minds as we read.  If, as readers, we fail to do so it's like going into a theater with our popcorn, Goobers, and Coke, sitting down in our comfortably cushioned seat waiting for a movie to start that never plays.  For those who don't do this, reading becomes a chore to be avoided.  

      Two things that I found most helpful.  First on page 25 the authors give examples to look for to see if a child is making images.  If you're reading and stop and ask the child to give some details and they do, or if they laugh, cry or use expression when they read, it's quite likely that the movie is playing upstairs.  Some signs of this not happening are also given.  For example if there is a lack of interest in the story or the child has difficulty describing characters, setting, or relate what is happening in the story chances are the theater upstairs is closed.

     The authors don't leave us hanging.  The chapter has many ideas for parents and teachers to assist children in creating mental images.  On page 29 and following we are given tips on how to use picture books for younger readers and the types of questions to ask as we're reading with children.

      Another valuable point mentioned was that for the mind to be making movies a child's prior knowledge/experiences or schema was invaluable.  Giving our kids lots of life experiences and memories are vital in this regard so we mustn't downplay them as we consider children as readers and writers.

     There were many helpful ideas given in this chapter so don't hesitate to share some of yours.  The authors give many practical suggestions when reading and books that might be useful.  Remember I've got a copy if you need to borrow one.  Thanks again for reading.  Our next chapter is on making connections...and until next month...try making some movies of your own!