Picture Stories
Picture stories can be used to introduce new vocabulary and to practice speaking and/or reading skills (Minnesota Literacy Council).
----- This is a great collection of picture stories, which are relevant to learners. The stories are organized into different levels, and teachers' guides are provided.
Croydon, A. (2005). Making it real: Teaching pre-literate adult refugee students. Literacy Network of Washington. Retrieved from http://www.tacomacommunityhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Making-it-Real.pdf.
Hartel, J. A., Lowry, B., & Hendon, W. (2006). Sam and Pat 1: Beginning reading and writing. Boston, MA: Thomson Heinle.
Minnesota Literacy Council. (n.d.) Classroom Videos. Retrieved from http://mnliteracy.org/classroomvideos
----- Apart from a written description of using picture stories (and also other activities), the site also has authentic teaching videos as demonstrations.
Singleton, K. (n.d.). Picture Stories for Adult ESL Health Literacy. Retrieved from http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/Health/healthindex.html
----- The stories discusses health-related topics, including emergencies, doctor's appointments and stress. There are teaching suggestions on the use of the materials.
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| Photo from Bow Valley College |
Procedure:
- Introduce the story and show the pictures after activating schema.
- Look at the pictures one by one. Give or have learners supply one short sentence to describe each picture. Have the whole class repeat the sentence.
- Provide learners with sentences on paper strips. Have them match the sentences with the pictures.
- Have learners read the sentences aloud.
Variation: Divide the class into groups. Ask learners to put the pictures in order. In this way, each group creates a story of their own. Each group then shares their story with the whole class.
(Adapted from Croydon, 2005, p.71; Hartel, Lowry, & Hendon, 2006; Minnesota Literacy Council)
References/Resources:
Bow Valley College. (n.d.). ESL Literacy Readers: Forty theme-based readers for adult ESL literacy learners. Retrieved from https://globalaccess.bowvalleycollege.ca/esl-literacy-readers----- This is a great collection of picture stories, which are relevant to learners. The stories are organized into different levels, and teachers' guides are provided.
Croydon, A. (2005). Making it real: Teaching pre-literate adult refugee students. Literacy Network of Washington. Retrieved from http://www.tacomacommunityhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Making-it-Real.pdf.
Hartel, J. A., Lowry, B., & Hendon, W. (2006). Sam and Pat 1: Beginning reading and writing. Boston, MA: Thomson Heinle.
Minnesota Literacy Council. (n.d.) Classroom Videos. Retrieved from http://mnliteracy.org/classroomvideos
----- Apart from a written description of using picture stories (and also other activities), the site also has authentic teaching videos as demonstrations.
Singleton, K. (n.d.). Picture Stories for Adult ESL Health Literacy. Retrieved from http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/Health/healthindex.html
----- The stories discusses health-related topics, including emergencies, doctor's appointments and stress. There are teaching suggestions on the use of the materials.