Visualization While Reading: A Review of the Comprehension Strategy (original) (raw)

2021, The Oklahoma English Journal

Reading comprehension is a complex, linguistic, cognitive ability, which makes it difficult to not only understand but teach (Horowitz-Kraus, Vannest & Holland, 2012). This may be why most reading strategies focus on text-based processing as opposed to visualizing while reading (De Koning & van der Schoot, 2013). Even though it may be difficult to teach, studies show the ability to visualize while reading outweighs the effort needed to teach it. Visualization-the ability to create pictures in the brain based upon written or spoken words-is one of many strategies to aid in comprehension. Gambrell and Bales (1986) expand this definition to include the ability to organize and store new mental images to form or draw conclusions from later. Despite the fact students are consistently surrounded by visual images in movies, television, video games, computers, and cell phones, most are passive consumers, which does not necessarily translate into the development of visualizing while reading (Gorman & Eastman, 2010; Hibbin & Rankin-Erickson, 2003).