# data[].attributes.body
Characters in a story are just as powerful as the plot of the story due to the personality the author creates (Hill, 2012). Characters are a way the reader can create an emotional connection to the story hence, enhance the possibilities of visualising the story. (Hill, 2012). Therefore, this activity involves analysing the character, both what the children can explicitly see such as hair, clothes, eyes etc. as well as the inside of the character thus, the personality implicitly described by the author. This aims to foster children's thinking to create perspectives in relation to the story. By completing this story, it enables children to reflect upon the story, visualise and mentally sequence the story in order to think about whether the character in the story had a shift in personality throughout the story (Hill, 2012; Seely Flint et al., 2014). In addition, an analysis of the character can actively involve EAL learners as they may see a similarity to their own culture or heritage hence, giving them a sense of belonging and create a connection to the story. It also relates to the Australian Curriculum within the Literature strand as children from the Foundation level must be able to recognise and identify characteristics of the characters within the story as well as explain their feelings in relation to the character. Moreover, it connects to the Early Years Learning Framework (2009) as they begin to identify the explicit differences between one another and are then supported by educators to model respect towards each individual. Similarly, the EYLF identifies outcome one whereby children begin to interact with their peers with empathy and care, thus, supports them in achieving the learning outcome within the formal school system where connecting to the character enables children to create semantic connections to the story.

# data[].attributes.headline
4. Teaching children to visualise comprehens

# data[].attributes.subject
4. Teaching children to visualise comprehens

# data[].attributes.body
Visualisation refers to the mental images children make whilst listening to a story so that they can create meanings to the story based on their own experiences (Seely Flint et al., 2014). This activity focuses on children’s visualization as it is a critical element to comprehend what has been read. Firstly, to introduce this concept, the teacher can read a poem and after each sentence, the children are required to imagine what they think is happening though, taking into consideration the five sense of what they think they can smell, hear, taste, touch or hear. Then children can draw below that sentence so that in the end they create a whole class visual poem. Following this, the teacher reads a story, firstly beginning with the title and asking the children to visualise what they think the story might be about without actually seeing the front cover. Next, the teacher reads the story in 4 sections and provides children a piece of paper to then individually draw the story in its correct sequence.

Thus, this activity supports visual learners as well as EAL learners, providing them the opportunity to demonstrate their learning through another method besides writing (Seely Flint et al., 2014). In addition, it is a learning outcome in both the Australian Curriculum (2016) (grade two) as well as the Early Years Learning Framework (2009), whereby children need to learn how to sequence/ retell a story within its correct order.

# data[].attributes.body
'Read Alouds' with children provide them the opportunity to listen to texts that are too difficult for them to read though with the educator modelling reading strategies such as the tone and face or bodily expressions used, it enables children to conduct those actions when they are reading individually (Seely Flint et al., 2014; Hertzberg, 2009). This activity involves the teacher and child having a read aloud but focusing on the vocabulary used within the text. The child is asked to underline words they are unsure of what it means and then they are required to search the definition in the dictionary. Although, if they are still confused or unsure of the meaning, the teacher can discuss what the words mean using child-friendly definitions as well as using synonyms for the word (Ambrose, Goforth & Collins, 2015). However, when endorsing this activity with EAL students, the application 'Oxford Picture Dictionary' is another resource that can support their learning as it gives them a visual image to look at even if they are unable to completely read the written words (McLeod, 2013). Next, the child is required to write their own sentences based on the word. In turn, this activity is suitable for EAL learners as those who also find writing difficult, can access an interactive apple application called 'Writing Wizard' whereby children who need assistance with writing can use their finger to trace letters, words, shapes and numbers (McLeod, 2013). Teachers can also write their own words/sentences so the children can practice letter formation through this interactive game (McLeod, 2013).
Seely Flint et al., (2014) found through Goodman's (1968,1986) theory, that children are unable to engage and make meaning to the text if they do not critically make meaning to the letters, sounds and words of the text. Thus, this theory is supported in the Australian Curriculum within the Language strand for children to understand vocabulary in different contexts.

# data[].attributes.body
Seely Flint et al., (2014), discuss the notion of intertextuality whereby children create connections to the text based on their own personal experiences or other texts they have read previously. By doing so, it supports their meaning-making processes hence, form semantic connections to the text.

The following activity can be either a brainstorm as a whole class or individually in which children are given writing prompts to answer after reading the story.  As a result, the prompts support the transactional theory hence, allowing children to reflect on their own ideas in order to make connections to the current text with a previous text they have read, their own personal experiences or creating connections based on a societal event (Seely Flint et al., 2014).  In addition, this activity will highly support EAL students and visual learning students as they are given the opportunity to translate their sentences into a drawing so that they can confidently present it to their peers and all the children will be able to grasp an insight of the drawing without any verbal communication required (PETAA, 2013).

Furthermore, this activity connects to the Literacy strand within the Australian Curriculum (ACELY1680) (2016), whereby children are required to create "literal and inferred meaning" to text as well as reflect on their own knowledge and experiences.

# data[].attributes.body
The following 3 pictures are cubes which i have personally been using with my tutoring student who comes from an English as an Additional Language (EAL) background and requires high level of assistance with reading comprehension. As a result, the 3 cubes have been created so the student and I can have 'talk alouds' prior to reading the story, during the middle of the story and at the end of the story (Ambrose, Goforth & Collins, 2015). The child is given the option to roll the dice and then choose which question he would like to answer in order to provide him a sense of ownership to his learning as well as have the notion of play embedded within his learning (Early Childhood Australia, 2016). The cubes enable children to critically think about the story they have read and continuously reflect on what they had just read, rather than waiting till the end of the story and forgetting the important events in the story. For instance, the cube used prior to starting the story allows the educator to abolish any barriers to children's learning such as, not understanding the title of the story. Thus, the educator can then explain the terms used or explain the picture (if the child is unable to) in child-friendly terminology (Ambrose, Goforth & Collins, 2015).

Moreover, the use of dice provides children the opportunity to make meaning with the text based on their own real-life experiences or current knowledge (Lukens, Smith & Coffel, 2013). It also connects to the Australian Curriculum strand of Literature whereby children are required to make personal connections to texts as well as understand the different contexts text is being used in (Australian Curriculum, 2016). Thus, as an educator working with an EAL student, it also provides me an insight in relation to the child's 'virtual school bag' (Seely Flint et al., 2014).

# data[].attributes.body
The following resource outlines strategies for teaching professionals and families to assist students/children with reading comprehension. It is critical for children to understand what they are reading as well as to make semantic connections with the content being learned and the context it is being taught (Seely Flint, Kitson, Lowe & Shaw, 2014). Each child encompasses diverse funds of knowledge and have diverse ways of learning, therefore the following strategies aim to cater for all learning styles as well as provide suggestions for educators on how to approach children who come from diverse backgrounds (Hill, 2012).