Teach and Explore the Visualising Comprehension Strategy

Helping students ‘see’ what they read can be a real game-changer for reading comprehension. Strong visualisations help readers understand and remember what they are reading. This can help students stay engaged and gain greater enjoyment from texts.  

This 19-slide teaching presentation provides everything you’ll need to teach this valuable reading comprehension strategy to your students. It includes the following content: 

• A definition of the visualising strategy
• An explanation of how and when to use the strategy
• Examples of metacognitive questions to ask when applying the strategy
• A guided, whole-class activity (based on a literary text)
• Check for understanding activities

Once your students have engaged with this resource, they’ll have a clear understanding of how to use the visualisation strategy while they are reading and why this technique supports enhanced comprehension.

Read on to learn more about why this strategy is so important to explicitly teach to our primary students.

How the Visualising Reading Strategy Supports Comprehension

The visualising reading strategy is more than just imagining pictures – it’s a key skill that supports deep comprehension. When explicitly taught, it equips students to actively engage with text rather than passively read it.

Here’s why it’s worth making space for in your literacy lessons:

• Boosts comprehension – Students who visualise while reading are more likely to understand and remember what they read.
• Improves recall and retelling – Mental images created through visualisation act as anchors for summarising and discussing the text.
• Supports diverse learners – The visualising strategy can be particularly helpful for struggling readers who benefit from concrete imagery.

Download This Visualisation Reading Strategy PowerPoint

Bring the visualisation reading strategy to life in your classroom with the click of a button! This resource downloads as either a Microsoft PowerPoint or a Google Slides file. You can access both file formats via the Download button above. (Note: You will be prompted to make a copy of the Google Slides presentation before accessing it.)

The slides are classroom-ready, visually appealing and easy to adapt to your students’ needs. Whether you’re projecting them for whole-class teaching, using them in small groups, or revisiting key slides over multiple lessons, this resource fits seamlessly into your literacy routine.

Lindsey Phillips, a teacher and Teach Starter collaborator, contributed to this resource.

More Resources for Teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies

Visualising is but one of many reading comprehension strategies we teach to our students in the primary school setting. If you’re looking for resources to support you in teaching these essential strategies, Teach Starter has you covered!

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