Matching pictures with text is one strategy to assist English Language Learners and primary students with reading comprehension and vocabulary development. Students can match pictures in a range of ways. This includes matching pictures with words or sentences. Here are some ideas for using picture matching with ELLs.

Match Pictures with Words

Choose pictures from a text that students are reading or relevant vocabulary words. Depending on the choices of words, students are able to practice beginning and ending sounds using this activity.

Match Pictures with Sentences

Choose pictures from a text that students are reading or pictures that connect to a topic that they are learning about. The student reads the sentence and then finds the sentence that best tells what the picture is about. This is a simple way to practice the main idea and basic reading skills.

Practice Main Idea

Sentence matching activities are a simple way for ELLs to practice identifying the main idea. Students read a sentence and then find the picture that that sentence describes. You can modify the difficulty level of this activity depending on how complex the other sentences are.  This is a great way for a beginning ELL to show that they understand the main idea, even if they struggle with speaking and writing.

Connect to Content

Picture matching activities can easily connect to whatever topic a class is studying. This is a great way to include beginning ELLs in grade-level content.  Find pictures that correlate to the subject that the class is studying. Then as student practice matching either words or pictures, they are building both their reading skills and content knowledge.

Premade Picture Matching Bundle

Do you need a premade set of picture matching activities? I have sets of word and sentence picture matching activities available. They are available individually and as part of a money-saving bundle. The bundle will include seasonal and content related pictures when it is finished.

Preview a digital set where students match a sentence with a picture in Google Slides.