P.I.E. - Perform, Investigate, Envision Reading Technique for Teaching Kindergarten

P.I.E. - Perform, Investigate, Envision Reading Technique for Teaching Kindergarten
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Teaching young learners to be active readers is challenging. Elementary reading comprehension teachers need special patience and

understanding. Guiding the youngest of learners toward reading comprehension is the most challenging task. Using the Perform, Investigate, and Envision (P.I.E.) technique provides fun kindergarten reading comprehension activities that will assist you in not only teaching these very special learners how to actively read, but also help foster a love of reading that will last a lifetime.

Perform, Investigate & Envision

P.I.E. or Perform, Investigate and Envision is a technique designed to allow young readers to learn how to actively participate in material read or being read to them. The focus is for kindergarten learners; however, it is well suited for pre-k students as well as students in early primary grades. An active process, it is best utilized when students first arrive to class as it helps set the tone for the day.

P = Perform: Create large, captioned story boards, or dioramas. These visual interpretations of stories allow young learners to follow both the words and the actions of the story. For more advanced students, use a variation of the game ‘Simon Says’ in which the children emulate the actions of the story. By actively acting out the events of the story in a fun and interactive way, the concepts and messages are enhanced and solidified.

I = Investigate: Using a variation of the game ‘Treasure Hunt’, hide things directly, as well as indirectly related to the story. As the students enjoy searching for and ultimately finding these hidden items, they are actively thinking about elements of a story, and also developing deductive reasoning skills as they determine the significance of each item to the story.

E = Envision: Instead of reading a story to the children, why not have them create a story collectively! Simply begin the story by presenting the characters and setting to the children. This can be in the form of a large diorama, series of puppets, or actual dolls. Going around the class, have each child add one sentence to the story and move the characters, puppets or dolls relating to the actions they create. If the props are unavailable, simply use the dry mark board instead. This activity fosters the ability to see the action as it takes place. More importantly, it allows students to make connections with respect to stories, conclude how actions relate, and continue along a theme, all while having a fabulous time!

Story time can be a wondrous and amazing point in the school day. It can also be an invaluable opportunity for students to gain an invaluable lifelong tool of active listening and greater reading comprehension. Using P.I.E. is a simple and fun way to help these young learners develop the tools necessary to become more adept at understanding what they read, as well as becoming better listeners.