Inquiry Project Proposal/interim update
Sandy Jacobi
For this Inquiry Project, I have decided to do something with visualization, having gone to a 2-day workshop up in Danvers, Ma, which made a lot of sense.
The ability to visualize, both from print or when listening, appears to be vital for good comprehension and retention. Many poor readers, both LD or not, do not visualize as they read (or listen) and often complain that "the words just go in" and don't seem to make any impression." In literacy programs we get the occasional learner who is a good decoder (and speller), but has surprising problems with comprehension. Such readers may not be visualizing as they read, and need direct instruction in this important skill. I guess my inquiry question is: Can visualization instruction and practice aid reading comprehension for ABE students?
I have no idea as to how I can "prove" anything, except by anecdotal reporting. There are also only 5 students I'll be working with: 3 in my Pawtucket class, a 17 year-old boy from Feinstein High, and a student from Project Learn who's got an ESL background. The 12-hour workshop on visualization was based on Nanci Bell's book "Visualizing and Verbalizing" and was presented by Jody Gray at Commonwealth Learning in Danvers.
So far I've done two picture visualizations with the class and one with my Feinstein guy. I'm particularly interested in how I can work vocabulary into the sessions, since it seems to be a good way to introduce new words in a context. Visual learners, like the Feinstein student, enjoy using a picture as a springboard for words.
The only materials expenses so far have been overhead transparencies for the class. With the one-on-one students, all you need is a notebook and some magazine pictures.
National Reading Panel, which has a summary of its report to Congress, finished in April, 2000. It fully supports the findings (which had been hotly disputed) by the National Institute of Child Health and Development re the importance of phonological awareness and systematic phonics instruction. It also finds support for "guided oral reading," which many teachers, including myself, have questioned. This is of interest for my inquiry project because I'll be adding oral reading to the visualization sessions.
more links, specifically on non-verbal LD, relevant to the project will be added soon.
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