Pictures Help Teachers Develop Literacy
By Kathy Hinders and Crystal Hintzman*
In the fall of 2013, a select group of teachers began a series of professional development opportunities on the Picture Word Inductive Model (PWIM). Working with an external consultant, teachers, administrators, and coaches met to study PWIM, and review how students were responding to PWIM instruction.
Teachers were pleased with the growth in student acquisition of language and vocabulary, and as a result, a second cohort of teachers began professional development opportunities on PWIM during the 2014-2015 school year.
Here’s an example of how teachers help Kindergartners expand their vocabulary by identifying items in pictures
PWIM is an inquiry-oriented, integrated language arts approach to developing literacy. A picture containing familiar objects and actions is used to elicit words from the student’s speaking vocabulary.
The teacher works with the whole class or with small groups of students to assist them as they inquire about words, how words are written, develop observation skills, discover phonetic and structural principals of words and sentences, and use new words in their study of reading, writing, comprehending, and composing.
Middle School students utilize photos to inquire into the past and the present
This photo shows how 1st Graders use the Picture Word Inductive Model to demonstrate words in their writing.
To date, 34 teachers, 11 administrators, and 3 coaches have participated in the PWIM professional development. Plans have been made to continue to deepen this learning into the 2015-2016 school year.
*Kathy Hinders, PhD, is the Director of Special Education and Student Services for the School District of Superior, and Crystal Hintzman, is the Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment, for the School District of Superior.
