Distinguishing Information from Text & Information from Pictures {Including FREE Resources}

Hi all!

Let me start by saying, you do not have to use Epic! in your class to read this post or use the accompanying resources.

Let me also say, if you are not using Epic! in your classroom, go check it out as soon as possible as soon you finish reading this post.  This online resource has tons of digital books, audio books, read-to-me books, and educational videos.  Best of all, Epic! is FREE for teachers.

I want to share with you the books I picked from Epic! that work perfectly to help students develop the skill of distinguishing between information found in text and information found in pictures.  All of the books are by one of my favorite authors, Gail Gibbons.  Not only does she write very informative and easy to understand informational texts, she also has several books available (for FREE) on Epic!.
Of course, all of these selections are also available in print.  You can click on any of the titles below for a link to each book.  Traditional books work just as well as the digital version for these activities.
The books are:  Apples, Wolves, Sharks, Penguins!, Horses!, From Seed to Plant, Whales, and Monarch Butterfly all by Gail Gibbons.

Distinguishing between information found in text and information found in pictures takes time for students to master.  In order to practice this skill, I start by having my students take a picture walk through a given text, for example, Penguins!.  We look closely at all the pictures and I think aloud my  observations of the pictures.  I'm modeling this behavior in hopes that students will begin to thoroughly examine pictures when they are reading a text independently.
After the picture walk, we use the Text Versus Picture sentence sort to identify which sentences tell information that we could glean from looking closely at the pictures. Students will mark the sentences. (I usually have the students just put a dot beside the sentence-for the time being.)

Then, I have the students listen to the text (or read the text, depending on the students' reading abilities).  By the way, all the texts for these printables have a read-to-me option on Epic!.
After students hear/read the text, we go back over the sorting sentences on the printable and discuss if the remaining sentences tell information students had to discover in the text.
Finally, students cut and glue the sentences into the correct boxes.

You can use one or all of these sorts.  I provide a good deal of support with the first few sorts.  Later in the year, as I see fit, I gradually take away some of the scaffolding for students to complete the assignment.  

You really can utilize these sorts however works best for your students. 

If you are interested in using any of these printables with your class, you can click on the box below.

I hope these ideas and resources will be a good jumping off point with your students as they become more attuned to texts, photographs, illustrations, and all sorts of other text features.

Happy Teaching!