Using VTS in the Classroom

Assignment:
Referring back to the videos, articles, etc. that you read/watched about VTS, discuss the implications and use in your classroom of implementing and using VTS. Add at least one website link, with a brief description about it, that demonstrates a way to use VTS in a classroom. Respond to 2 other participants.

My Response:
When teaching my kindergartners how to read the first way that I teach them to read is by reading the pictures. We go through and talk about what is happening in each picture. We discuss how to add details lots of details so we can really start to understand the story. As a whole class we did an activity where we made up a story based on these four pictures that I drew. We came back the next day and added more details to make the story more juicy. My class this year had a lot of extremely creative kiddos and I think that these type of activities really allowed these kiddos to thrive.

Website:
This website gives you an introduction to VTS and it also discusses good resources for integrating VTS into your classroom. Visual thinking skills can truly help give students a different outlook and perception on things.

Kya,

I feel like sometimes in education it is easy to look over the details in work.  It is so easy to go onto the next skill or category that needs to be taught.  It seems like VTS has opened up the door for more discussion and paying attention to detail.  I didn't think about this until I read your response.  

I made a connection from your post and really agree with what you said. We teach students to use the pictures  and clues from the story to help the find missing words, so VTS makes a lot more sense to me now. Students love to look at the pictures in the story and predict what will happen. The images they have to think about and explain would be no different. I cannot believe I did not make this connection before.

Pre-schoolers have a lot to say!  Given the chance, they will tell you more stories than you have time to hear.  VTS allows them to give their version of the story that a picture tells.  I like how you show them pictures to get them thinking about details while sneakily teaching them how to read at the same time!  Good job!