Foundations of Literacy and Expression · Senior Infants

Active learning ideas

Integrating Visuals and Multimedia in Writing

Active learning helps Senior Infants connect visuals and words by giving them hands-on ways to practice pairing images with sentences. When children draw, sort, or match pictures to text, they build both comprehension and communication skills in a natural, engaging way.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Junior Cycle English - Writing
• NCCA: Junior Cycle English - Crafting and Shaping Texts

• 20–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Project-Based Learning
• 25 min · Pairs

Pairs: Picture-Sentence Match-Up

Provide cards with simple sentences about familiar topics like weather. Pairs draw matching pictures on blank cards, then swap with another pair to check if visuals fit the words. Discuss as a class what works best.

How do visuals complement and extend the meaning of written text?

Facilitation Tip

During Pairs: Picture-Sentence Match-Up, circulate and listen for students explaining why their picture matches the sentence, reinforcing that visuals carry meaning equal to words.

What to look for

Provide students with a sentence, for example, 'The cat sat on the mat.' Ask them to draw a picture that matches the sentence. Observe if their drawing accurately represents the words and if they can explain the connection.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Project-Based Learning
• 35 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Visual Procedure Chart

Groups draw and label steps for a class routine, such as handwashing, using pictures with short captions. Each member adds one step, then groups share charts on the board. Vote on clearest visuals.

What ethical considerations are important when using images and multimedia in my writing?

Facilitation Tip

For Visual Procedure Chart, model how to use arrows to connect steps in order, then step back to let groups work through their own charts.

What to look for

Give each student a small card. Ask them to write one sentence about their favorite animal and draw one picture to go with it. Collect the cards to see if students can effectively pair a visual with a written fact.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Project-Based Learning
• 40 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Shared Big Book

Project animal photos; class suggests facts, teacher scribes sentences while volunteers draw matching pictures on large paper. Turn pages to read aloud, noting how visuals help understanding.

How can I design visual elements to effectively convey complex information or evoke emotion?

Facilitation Tip

In Shared Big Book, pause often to ask students to point to the picture that matches the sentence you just read, building fluency with visual-text links.

What to look for

Show students two simple posters about the same topic, one with visuals and one without. Ask: 'Which poster is easier to understand? Why? What does the picture do that the words alone do not?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Project-Based Learning
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: My Family Infographic

Each child draws family members with labels for names and roles, adding hearts or houses for emotions and homes. Display on walls for peer comments.

How do visuals complement and extend the meaning of written text?

What to look for

Provide students with a sentence, for example, 'The cat sat on the mat.' Ask them to draw a picture that matches the sentence. Observe if their drawing accurately represents the words and if they can explain the connection.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by making visuals central to the writing process, not an afterthought. Model how to plan both words and pictures together, and avoid creating posters or charts where images are added just to fill space. Research shows that when children create both text and visuals, they develop stronger conceptual understanding and retention of facts.

Students will confidently pair simple drawings or photos with sentences to create clear informational texts. They will explain how their visuals add meaning and will use pictures to support facts in their writing.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Pairs: Picture-Sentence Match-Up, watch for students assuming any picture can match any sentence.

  Have students cover the picture and read the sentence aloud, then uncover the picture to check if it adds new information. If details are missing, guide them to swap the picture for one that completes the meaning.

• During Visual Procedure Chart, watch for students treating the visual as optional decoration.

  Ask groups to cover their pictures and read their steps aloud. If the instructions make no sense without the images, redirect them to add arrows or labels that clarify each step.

• During My Family Infographic, watch for students copying images exactly from a shared source.

  Set up a drawing station with blank paper and colored pencils, and remind students that their visuals should show their unique family facts. After they finish, have peers give feedback on whether the picture fits the sentence exactly or needs adjustment.

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Methods used in this brief

• Project-Based Learning