I would use think-alouds when I'm reading picture books to students. It can be a way to help English Language Learners connect the story to their own personal lives or experiences. It can also help them make connections between the visuals on the page and the story.

I already use this strategy a lot during our science lessons. When we introduce a new unit, I display an image (plant, weather, animal, etc.) and create an anchor chart with their answers. This helps support language development and inquiry in a low-pressure situation for english language learners. Students build vocabulary by naming parts of the image. They also are encouraged to use sentence starters when speaking, "I think.... because..." This builds their language to express what they are thinking.

I would use Picture Walks in my small group instruction with English language learners. It takes the pressure off of reading and decoding the text right away and sparks curiosity in the story. By looking at pictures, students share their background knowledge based on what they see. There may be familiar images they can connect to. It also build on their inferencing and prediction skills by making guesses as to what the story is about.

This strategy promotes visual literacy in English language learners in more of a creative avenue. I would use this as morning work. A student may have to fill in the missing part of the picture or turn a squiggle or shape into something new. Students could also get two pictures with subtle differences and they have to circle what's different. Since it feels like a game, students may be more engaged. Benefits of this strategy would be vocabulary building, especially if used with a thematic unit. It also promotes attention to details.