Continue to allow students a moment of silence to study each reproduction before beginning.
Questioning
Begin with: What's going on in this picture?
Throughout the discussion, ask: What else can you find?
For students who seem ready: What do you see that makes you say that?
Ask this question of more mature students first. Give them a moment to think. See what happens. If s/he answers, paraphrase the response as you usually do. If s/he simply stares, remains mute, or shrugs his/her shoulders, say something like, "I see that you are thinking, and that is fine." Or, "I see that you know the answer, but you needn't speak out now." Make certain that both the child who can accomplish this task and the one who isn't ready still feels that s/he is a good observer and capable learner.
Concluding the Class
To bring classes to an end, point out something positive you notice about the day's conversation. "You were particularly thoughtful about such and such an image today." Or, "You made me see things I had never seen." Or, "I was impressed by how much you seemed to be listening to each other during the discussion of such and such." Or, "I am glad so many of you contributed to the discussion today." Stress the thoughtfulness of their process. Help them realize that what is important is all of them working together to contribute observations and ideas.
Ask the students what they remember as especially interesting and what they might relate to family or friends.
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The concrete question "What do you see?" is used in Lessons 1-5 because younger students enjoy identifying what they observe in an image, often taking inventory of the various objects and characters. The new question, "What's going on in this picture?" is designed to stimulate deeper thinking about the picture's narrative, encouraging interpretation. Think about the kinds of comments your students make.
The question "What do you see that makes you say that?" asks students to reason to support their interpretative comments by citing evidence from the picture. While an important goal of the VTS, learning to reason may be too challenging for most of your students. In addition to asking it of more mature students, try it with others who are letting their imaginations go wild or who wander. If they are unable to answer, gently back off. This experience is only as useful as it remains fun and natural for students.
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When your class hears you paraphrase each comment, it helps the entire group appreciate the importance of everyone's thinking. It shows the value you give to listening to what everyone says. If for any reason you are unsure of the meaning of a given response, or whether you heard the answer correctly, ask the student to repeat him- or herself. Then rephrase the idea.
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