Using Picture Books to Teach Comprehension
By: Michelle Pantel Updated: June 2023
I appreciate using picture books when I teach comprehension strategies. Picture books can be used in any grade. The beauty of picture books is that it combines the use of visual elements and words that can be progressed through at the reader's own rate. There are many online sites that can give you great lists of books that support teaching different comprehension strategies. I want to share 4 of my favourite picture books.
By : Barbara Lehman
Wordless picture books are a great way to teach comprehension without text being a factor. This allows the reader to make the story in their head as they go along. Wordless picture books are particularly great for teaching determining importance and inference skills. I love how this book uses items inside a treasure box to send the children on an exploration journey.
By: Jennifer Lanthier
This story intertwines the life of two men in a very interesting way to the beauty of empathy. I appreciate using this book with middle years students where there can be a discussion about the power of words. It is a wonderful book to teach synthesizing skills.
By Lewis Carroll
This nonsense poem has been around for many years. I find this poem particularly useful in helping to teach monitoring comprehension skills, because many of the words are not found in the English Dictionary. With middle years students if you are not using one of the Jabberwocky picture book formats and just sharing the poem you can use it to teach visualization.
By: Patricia Rae Wolff
Inference skills are easily taught through the use of riddles. This book has the young boy telling riddles through out the story to trick the troll.
These are only a few of the many picture books I use when teaching comprehension strategies to students.
