Pictures and young children's learning from oral prose

Reports 4 experiments examining the effects of overt illustration on 1st graders' learning from oral prose. A total of 132 Ss participated. In all experiments, Ss heard prose selections after (or during) which they illustrated selection content with plasticized figure cutouts and background scenes. Control Ss copied or colored geometric forms during the illustration period. After hearing 3 or 5 passages, Ss orally recalled passage content and answered simple factual questions about each passage. Illustration facilitated prose learning only when the S was given the correct pieces for his illustration or had the illustration done for him. When Ss selected the pieces for each illustration out of a common pool of 20-30 cutouts, illustration activity had either negative or no effect. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).