1. Select a picture. The teacher does this. The scene may or may not relate to the basic content areas depending on purpose and student needs.
2. Students identify what they see in the picture.
3. Students provide words for what they see. The teacher draws a line from the picture to the word, says the word, spells the word while pointing to each letter, says the word again, then students spell the word with the teacher. A picture- dictionary emerges.
*4. Teacher leads reviews of the picture- word chart, emphasizing characteristics of the words and leading the students to con-tinue to spell and read them. (See/ Say/ Spell/ Say)
*5. Students classify the words and share the categories they develop.
(Word cards are printed out and given to each student.)
6. Often, at this point, more words are added to the picture- word chart and to the word banks in the room.
7. Students generate titles for their picture- word chart. The teacher leads students to think about the “evidence” and informa-tion in their chart and about what they can say about this information.
*8. The teacher models writing sentences about the picture, using the composing think- aloud processes described in Chapter 16.
*9. The students generate and share sentences directly related to their picture- word chart. The teacher records these, giving stu-dents copies from the interactive white board or from the chart paper.
*10. Students classify the shared sentences.
11. The teacher models putting the categories of sentences together into an effective paragraph.
12. The students practice writing or dictating paragraphs. These can be used to build a book to be shared with their parents.
*Indicates moves that occur many times during most PWIM cycles.
Phonics/ Grammar/ Mechanics/ Usage
1. Students hear the words pronounced correctly many times, and they have an immediate reference source to use (the picture- word chart) as they add these words to their sight vocabulary. At the teacher’s discretion, almost any sound/ symbol relationship can be emphasized (introduced or taken to mastery).
2. Students hear and see the letters identified and formed correctly many times.
3. Students hear the words spelled correctly many times and par-ticipate in spelling words correctly.
4. In writing the sentences, the teacher uses standard English usage (transforming student sentences if necessary) and uses correct punctuation and mechanics (commas, capital letters, and so on).
Social System
A cooperative- inquiry environment is developed. The students work together to learn to read and write, listen and discuss, question and investigate.
Principles of Reaction
Knowing how to respond to the students and accelerate their learn-ing depends on a continuous flow of information. The structure of PWIM affords a number of opportunities to study students’ learning and application of content and therefore to scaffold moves accord-ingly. Watching how students identify characteristics of words and how effectively they classify the words provides essential data in reg-ulating review and determining next instructional moves. Examining the sentences students dictate or write has the same function—
helping teachers decide how much to model and talk through the composing processes. The model rolls— phases can be repeated and tasks can be modulated to meet the needs of students.
Support System
Enlarged photographs, lots of chart paper, card stock for making word cards, and sentence strips are needed. An interactive white-board is excellent for inductive work and composing think- alouds.
When the picture is related to a content area unit, many books on the unit concepts need to be available—books at a range of levels. The teacher will use read- alouds, talk- alouds, and think- alouds to help build comprehension and composing skills.
The picture- word chart needs to be posted prominently and pro-vide easy access as a reading/ writing resource for students. Encour-age students to create their own picture- word charts on plain paper or construction paper.
Most picture word inductive model cycles take five to 15 days.
They can take 20 to 30 days depending on the number of words gen-erated, the conceptual richness of photograph(s), and the objectives of the work.
Chapter FIve The Picture Word Inductive Model 121
Express self through writing
Become a culture of readers
Learn collaborative skills Self-teaching
capacity
Inquiry skills regarding language
Skill in reading
Conceptual control over reading and writing
PWIM
I N S T R U C T I O N A L
N U R T U R A N T
Instructional and nurturant effects of the picture word inductive model
FIgure 5.14
Instructional and Nurturant Effects of the Picture Word Inductive Model
Students build their sight vocabularies, learn how to inquire into word and sentence structures, generate writing (titles, sentences, paragraphs), use the reading/ writing connection, develop skill in phonetic and structural analysis, develop interest and capacity to express themselves, increase reading of and learning from informa-tional texts, and develop cooperative skills in working with others.
Figure 5.14 highlights some of the instructional and nurturant effects of the picture word inductive model.
Teachers hold the keys to literacy for many students— keys that provide access and choice. The more words students have in their listening and speak-ing vocabularies, the more understandspeak-ing they have of the world around them.
The more words they have in their reading and writing vocabularies, the more control and choice they have in life, both in and out of school, along with greater access to knowledge and experience and greater potential for teaching themselves. The more understanding they have of how language works, the more powerful they are and can become as communicators and citizens.