DEFINITION

• A picture walk is an interactive activity shared between the students and the teacher prior to the reading of a new story.

• Students are shown all the pictures as a means of previewing the story. 

• There is no reading of the text.

PURPOSE AND BENEFITS

• Through a picture walk, students understand that books are more than symbols written on a page. 

• Students discover that the book contains action and characters that they can relate to, and this establishes interest.

ECE–GRADE 1

• The picture walk strategy helps students connect words on the page to the illustrations and the story. 

• The illustrations help students recall information about the words in the book. 

• A picture walk establishes comparable background knowledge for all students. 

• It builds interest.

GRADES 2 AND UP

• Students can use the illustrations in the book to make predictions. 

• A picture walk develops students’ ability to create questions about the pictures to find meaning. 

• It aids in comprehension and introduces new reading vocabulary. 

• It develops imagination. 

• It teaches students to use visual cues as a comprehension strategy.

PROCEDURE

• Select a book to share with the students. 

• Show students the book’s cover; make sure all students have a clear view of the illustrations. 

• Read the title and the author’s name while looking at the title page. 

• Ask, “What do you think the story is about?” 

• Browse through the pages in chronological order without reading a word. You may wish to comment on the pictures along with students to help increase vocabulary.

• Encourage students to talk about what they see and make predictions. 

• Ask what might be happening in a selected illustration. 

• Spend time on every illustration. 

  • Ask who, what, where, why and when questions as well as how questions. 

  • Focus on character emotions. 

  • Respond to students’ answers with statements to stimulate interest, for example, “You might be right.” “We will have to see if that will happen.” “What makes you think this?” 

  • Let students share stories and experiences that connect their relationship to the illustration(s). 

  • Begin reading the story.

Picture Walk Video Demonstration
Demonstration of a picture walk and the ways in which this strategy can be used with students to access background knowledge and enhances vocabulary.  

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PICTURE WALKS
National & Community Service, “Literacy Training: The Picture Walk”: https://www.nationalserviceresources.org/learns/literacy-picture-walk
Reading to Kids: The “Picture Walk”: http://readingtokids.org/ReadingClubs/TipPictureWalk.php