F-07.03 Get Visual Meaning of Symbols & Signs with Images (+ Text)

What’s the Point? Book One: Beginning to Read for Meaning. Part 1: “The Point of Symbols & Signs,” pages 7-24

18 pages

Who It’s For: Language & Reading Teachers & Learners Who Want to Start a (Reading / Writing) Course a Little Differently—with Images. Potential Creators of Symbols & Signs. 

Why You Need It:  Up until recently, the term reading has mostly meant “getting meaning from alphabetic letters in words plus numbers and other symbols in connected text.”  Even so, more and more meaning is being conveyed before and beyond the textual.  Here’s a (relatively complete) presentation of the processes and info involved in interpreting “Symbols & Signs.”                       

What You’ll / They’ll Do:  

[1]  On the part-opening page, read about what symbols most often do (how they function).  Consider the many examples by telling their meanings.  Do the same for (the symbols on) the typical everyday signs that follow.  If it matters, think about the differences between symbols & signs.      

[2]  On pages 8-14, read and follow instructions for Exercise 1-A: Meaning Symbols.  If it’s available, check your responses with the correct ones in F-07.16, the What’s the Point? Book One Answer Key.  Be on the lookout for other (interesting, attention-worthy) symbols of this kind.  Share them with other teachers / learners.

[3]  On pages 15-17, follow directives to match “Common Signs 1-20” with their equivalents a-t.  Explain the meanings and humor of real “Signs 21-27.” 

[4] Pages 18-24 display real (typical, instructive, attractive, amusing) signs from the tangible world.  Groupings 1-7 contain arrays of (personally photographed) signage on and in buildings; on vehicles and stands, on walls and boards; in crowded outside areas; and on large (advertising) billboards.  After matching each of these (over 45) photos to relevant vocabulary, explain its purpose and significance. Read and absorb the related pedagogy that appears in Sidebars.

[5] Get even more instructive language from sample answers in the corresponding Answer Key pages.  Continue to note, share, and learn from (more recent) examples of meaningful “Symbols & Signs” online and on the street.