What does a picture walk involve?

A picture walk involves examining pictures to predict content. This strategy is primarily used in early literacy instruction to help students make connections between visual elements and the themes or narratives that will be presented in the accompanying text. By looking at images, students can begin to activate their prior knowledge and formulate questions about the story or subject before they even read the words. This process enhances comprehension and encourages engagement with the material, as students build anticipation around what they will learn or discover.

In contrast, reading the text aloud focuses on verbalizing written content rather than engaging with visual cues. Playing related games may enhance learning but does not directly involve the analysis of pictures or predicting text content. Writing summaries is a post-reading activity that requires comprehension of the text already, rather than the anticipatory predictions that a picture walk fosters.