Apicture is worth a thousand words.It indicates that a complex idea can be communicated by a single image. Indeed,cognitive research has shown that the human brain processes images quicker thanit processes words, and images are more likely than text to remain in ourlong-term memory.

First-gradersare good at thinking in images, so GIA grade one teacher Mr. Andrew Corsonwould refer to pictures when introducing new science vocabularies so thatstudents can quickly grasp the meaning of new terms. For example, when teachingthe science term “life cycle”, first he showed a picture about the life cycleof a butterfly, and then he directed students to brainstorm what they saw inthe picture as a whole group. After the discussion, he explained the life cycleof a butterfly part by part to help students understand it better. Then heposed another question, “What is the life cycle of a person?” Students wereasked to draw a picture of it. Through this activity, we provided students withhelp if they needed and encouraged students to share their ideas. Actually,brainstorming their thoughts on a painting or drawing is a good way for them todevelop their creative thinking, listening and speaking skills. In fact,compared with understanding and memorizing vocabulary in ways that may seemabstract, using images makes learning easier and more efficient. Furthermore,kids enjoy drawing, so it is also an effective way to arouse their interest,and attract their attention as well.