Practical Research: Article

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/picture-books-all

These are their ideas for using The red tree:

Before reading 

• Complete a word search activity with emotion words. 
• Elicit further emotion words.
• Show and discuss the cover and opening picture entitled ‘Dawn’, which is part of the peritext.
• Ask the students questions, help them think about how the girl feels and predict what happens in the picturebook. “How do you think she feels?”; “What do you think the story is about?” etc

Reading the picturebook

• Read and show the picturebook, ensure you leave plenty of time for the students to look at the illustrations. 
• Read the book again, and if you have a class set, let students look at their copies.
• Talk about the illustrations, but don’t forget there is no right answer to anything. 
• In groups, ask them to make a list of the images that represent positive and negative feelings. (There is a supportive handout for this.)
• Follow up with students sharing their ideas with the rest of the class, give plenty of time for further discussion.
• Read the picturebook as many times as you feel necessary.

After reading 

• Create a red tree of hope: Give students red leaf shapes. Ask them to write positive emotion words on the leaves, place the leaves around a brown trunk.
• Make a class poem book: Ask students to complete a poem, using feeling words. (There is a supportive handout for this.) Students can also illustrate their poem. Put the poem sheets together into a class book.
• Self-evaluation sheet.

It's clear that the teachers are focusing on the visual and encouraging their students to talk about the impact this has on their understanding of the picturebook's message. They help the students focus on the puzzles they find within, and also reinforce the fact that there is no right answer. They provide opportunities for discussion, which later lead into structured supported writing activities. I would say this collection of activities is very appropriate for older students, wouldn't you? It's real communication in English for real reasons.

There are a number of picturebook titles that can be used in a similar way with older students in an ELT context and at the end of the month I hope to publish a list, made up of some of my suggestions and yours too. For the time being here are four possibilities and if you want to know why I think they are appropriate for older learners, ask me!

Browne, A. (1986) Piggybook, Julia London: MacRae/Walker Books
Erlbruch, W. (2007) Duck, death and the tulip Wellington: Gecko Press
McKee, D. (2006) Tusk, Tusk London: Andersen Press
Smith, L. (2010) It's a book New York: Roaring Book Press