Understanding the Connection Between Text and Illustrations
Understanding the Connection Between Text and Illustrations Objective: Students will be able to explain how illustrations help clarify the text in a nonfiction book, meeting the 2.RI.9 standard.
Learning Objectives
- Recognize that illustrations provide important information that supports the text.
- Describe how pictures help explain or make the text clearer.
- Practice finding examples of how illustrations and text work together in a nonfiction book.
Materials Needed
- A nonfiction picture book appropriate for 2nd grade (e.g., a book about animals, weather, or plants)
- Paper and crayons or colored pencils
- Worksheet with simple questions about text and illustrations
Key Vocabulary
- Illustration
- A picture or drawing that helps explain or tell more about the text.
- Text
- The words written in a book or story.
- Nonfiction
- Books or stories that teach facts about real things.
Detailed Activities
Explore a Nonfiction Book Together
- Choose a nonfiction picture book appropriate for your child’s interests and reading level.
- Read the book aloud, pausing to look closely at the illustrations on each page.
- Ask your child questions like ‘How does this picture help us understand the words?’ and ‘What does the illustration show that the words do not?’
Draw and Explain
- Have your child draw a picture that explains a fact or idea they learned from the book.
- Ask them to tell you how their drawing helps explain the fact, just like the book’s illustrations do.
- Write a simple sentence with your child describing their drawing and what it shows.
Worksheet Practice
- Use a worksheet with questions that ask your child to match text excerpts with corresponding illustrations from the book.
- Discuss the answers together, reinforcing how the pictures help clarify the text.
- Praise your child’s observations and encourage them to find more examples in other books.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- This lesson focuses on helping your child understand how pictures in nonfiction books support what the text says.
- You do not need to be an expert; simply read and explore the book together, encouraging your child’s observations.
- Be patient and offer lots of praise as your child practices connecting words and pictures.
Assessment Questions
- Can you tell me how the picture on this page helps explain the words?
- What does the illustration show that the words might not say?
- Why do you think the author included this picture with the text?
Extension Ideas
- Find other nonfiction books at home or the library and explore how pictures and text work together.
- Create a simple nonfiction book together where your child writes facts and draws illustrations to explain them.
- Watch a short educational video and discuss how pictures or diagrams help explain the information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try asking guided questions like ‘What do you see in the picture?’ and ‘What did the words say here?’ to help them make connections step-by-step.
No, any age-appropriate nonfiction picture book your child enjoys can be used for this activity.
Keep the sessions short, use books on topics your child loves, and praise their efforts to build confidence.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Children may think pictures are just decorations and not connected to the text.
- Some students might focus only on the pictures or only on the words, missing how they work together.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Use books with very clear and simple illustrations closely matching the text.
- Spend more time on guided discussions to build understanding gradually.
For Advanced Students:
- Have them compare two nonfiction books on the same topic and discuss differences in illustrations.
- Encourage them to create more detailed explanations of how pictures add to the text.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Allow about 15 minutes for reading and exploring the book.
- Spend 15 minutes on the drawing and explanation activity.
- Use the last 15 minutes to complete the worksheet and discussion.
Standards
- 2.RI.9 — Compare and contrast the most important points presented by two texts on the same topic.
Printable Worksheet
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