All Info About Reading

 Children aren’t very old when they discover that many of their favorite storybooks have been made into films.  Older students have been known to substitute video-viewing for reading assigned literature.  Few parents or teachers condone this practice, but there are ways to use videos of stories productively.

The filmed version of a book makes a wonderful supplement for the reader.  The movie can fill in gaps and help a student make connections.  The film’s producers may emphasize ideas or events in ways that make them more memorable.  Because of the faster pace, movies sometimes help readers to draw ideas together and see the greater whole.  Watching the movie version after reading the book can help students flesh out ideas and perceptions.

Viewing a movie before tackling the book also has benefits.  The film version will help the student perceive the work as a whole.  The theme, characterization, and even the plot will become more apparent.  By previewing the story in this way, even reluctant or struggling readers will be more in touch with the author’s intent.  This sequence will also provide visual memories to go with the story.  This is particularly helpful for less efficient readers, enabling them to expend more energy and attention on the process of reading instead of trying to create new pictures. 

It’s also possible to use films and books together.  One way to build comprehension and analysis skills is to compare the movie and the text.  What similarities and differences can be found?  What details were changed?  Look for differences in plot, changes in setting, and even missing characters.  Try critiquing the film in terms of how well it stayed true to the book, or try to analyze why the film-maker made the changes that were made.

For a more introspective activity, ask students to read, then view the film.  Explore the ways in which the movie matched the reader’s visualizations and expectations.  What things were similar and which were different?  Analyze the film maker’s choices of actors and the set design.  You can even try writing a screenplay for part of the story, then comparing the movie scene with the new one.

Don’t write off the use of the filmed versions of books and stories!  Whether you use them to preview or supplement the reading, films can be an asset to learning.  The right exercises at the right times will really enhance the benefits of both mediums.

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