Reading Comprehension
Strategy
Area: Reading Comprehension
Strategy: Summarizing by Drawing
Appropriate Grade Level: K-12th grade
Procedures/Steps:
1.) Give students informational reading passages at their reading level (this could be
a section from the science or social studies text book, or an article from another
source).
2.) Have students read the passage silently, in groups, or read the passage together as
a class.
3.) Give students paper and have them draw pictures that depict the main points of
the reading passage. The picture should either be an overall scenario of what the
article was teaching or a sequence of events.
4.) Have students answer comprehension questions about the passage using only their
pictures as a guide.
Comments and/or tips: This strategy works great with science and social studies
texts where a lot of information is given that students need to remember. The pictures can
become a study guide and linking the picture to the information works as a mnemonic
device that students have created on their own.
Source:
Elliot, J. (2007). Summarizing with drawing a reading-comprehension strategy. Science
Scope, 30, 23-27.