The National Reading Panel reports that struggling readers gain significant learning benefits when they receive explicit and intensive instruction in visualizing.  It enables readers to make mental images and better see the relationships within a text.  If students are not "seeing the movie in their head" as they read, they are not getting the full intent of the text.  Students should be aware of their five senses and use all of them to create the sensory image and deepen the comprehension.  A great read-aloud book for helping students create sensory images is Under the Quilt of Night by Deborah Hopkinson.  The imagery in this book appeals to all senses.

Activities to Use with Under the Quilt of Night - PDF

Sense-o-Gram Graphic Organizer

Is the Student Creating Sensory Images?

Websites on Creating Sensory Images:

Comprehension Strategies:  Sensory Images

http://www.readinglady.com/Comprehension/Sensory_Images/sensory_images.html

Math Literacy: Visualizing

http://www.cbcsd.org/schools/W-W/mathdep/mathlit/visualization.html

Creating Visual and Other Sensory Images Activities

http://rusd.marin.k12.ca.us/belaire/BALearningCenter/carewwebpage/reading_handbook/creating_visual.html

Lesson Plan for Sensory Images, Grades 6-8

http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=1104

Visualization Activity: Making Mind Pictures - PDF

http://ayr.ednet.ns.ca/pdf/mindpict.pdf