Pictures (Pre-Reading)¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 3 claims (3 for) · 12 studies (8 causal, 3 quant-synthesis, 1 review), q2–q4 · 3 of 12 report an effect size

Description¶

The instructor selects three or four pictures related to the reading topic and provides them to small groups of learners. The groups work together to connect the pictures and guess what the reading will be about, then present their predictions to the class. This visual-based activity stimulates curiosity and encourages predictive thinking before reading, functioning as a concrete Activation task that surfaces prior knowledge and builds anticipation for the text.

Design Implications¶

Pre-reading pictures work as a schema-activation device: they give learners a shared visual referent that lowers the language barrier to discussing an unfamiliar topic and primes relevant background knowledge before decoding begins Activating prior knowledge improves comprehension of new material. [+M]. The predictive element matters as much as the pictures — asking groups to commit to a guess creates a purpose for reading, since learners then read to confirm or revise their hypotheses [~M]. Pictures must carry topical information, not merely decorate; images unrelated to the text's meaning do not improve learning Decorative illustrations do not improve learning outcomes. [+S].

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Carefully selected pictures that each carry distinct, relevant information about the reading topic (not generic decoration)
• Copies or displays for each group, and a prediction task with a clear output (e.g., "order the pictures," "write one sentence predicting the text")
• Facilitation for group work and a brief whole-class synthesis connecting predictions to the upcoming reading

Constraints¶

• Pictures that are merely attractive rather than informative add no learning value Decorative illustrations do not improve learning outcomes. [+S]
• Ambiguous or culturally unfamiliar images can send groups in unproductive directions or disadvantage learners without the relevant background [~M]
• If predictions are never revisited after reading, the activity loses its hypothesis-testing function and becomes an isolated warm-up [~W]
• Time spent on picture discussion can crowd out actual reading time in short sessions [-W]

Implementation Variability¶

• Sequencing variant: groups order pictures into a predicted storyline, then check the order against the text
• Language-learning variant: pictures paired with target vocabulary, so prediction doubles as pre-teaching key terms
• Whole-class variant: one image projected at a time with Class Discussion instead of small groups
• Digital variant: image sets shared via slides or a shared board for remote classes

Target Learners¶

• Language learners and emergent readers, for whom pictures provide a low-linguistic-demand entry point to a topic [~M]
• Learners with limited prior knowledge of the topic, who need a concrete anchor before encountering abstract text Activating prior knowledge improves comprehension of new material. [+M]
• Younger learners, who rely more heavily on visual supports for comprehension [~M]

Target Learning Goals¶

• Reading comprehension: building a predictive schema that the text can confirm or contradict
• Oral language: justifying interpretations and negotiating meaning within groups
• Visual literacy: inferring meaning from images and connecting visual and verbal information Pairing verbal and visual representations improves recall. [+M]

Instructions¶

1. Select three or four information-rich pictures connected to the reading's central topic or conflict.
2. Form small groups and distribute the picture set; ask groups to connect the pictures and predict what the reading will be about.
3. Have each group present its prediction to the class; record predictions visibly so they can be revisited (Advance Organizers can frame this as a "what we expect" chart).
4. Learners read the text, then compare it against their predictions to consolidate comprehension (Application of the prediction task).

Related Strategies¶

• Activating Prior Knowledge — pictures are one concrete vehicle for the same activation function
• Anticipation Guides — a text-based alternative that elicits predictions with statements instead of images

Related Elements¶

• Activation — the cognitive function this strategy serves
• Advance Organizers — the recorded predictions act as an organizer for the reading
• Class Discussion — the presentation and synthesis phase

Patterns That Use This Strategy¶

• Collaborative Learning — the group prediction task is a structured cooperative activity
• Discussion-Based Learning — picture interpretation supplies a shared, low-stakes discussion prompt

Examples¶

• Before reading a text on the Amazon rainforest, groups receive pictures of diverse species, deforestation, and indigenous communities; they predict the text's argument, then verify after reading.
• In an ESL class preparing to read a news article about migration, photographs of a journey, a border, and a city arrival prompt vocabulary-rich prediction discussion before any English text is shown.

Key Sources¶

• Carrell, P. L., & Eisterhold, J. C. (1983). Schema theory and ESL reading pedagogy. TESOL Quarterly, 17(4), 553–573. doi:10.2307/3586613
• Clark, J. M., & Paivio, A. (1991). Dual coding theory and education. Educational Psychology Review, 3(3), 149–210. doi:10.1007/bf01320076
• Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia Learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511811678
• Ausubel, D. P. (1968). Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View. Holt, Rinehart & Winston.