Turning the Reading of "James and the Giant Peach" into Art

The Perks of Using Art to Check Reading Comprehension: "James and the Giant Peach"

Reading doesn’t always have to end when you close the book! In our Literacy class, we’ve been exploring creative ways to show what we understand (and one of our favorites is using art). Mixing drawing with reading might sound unusual at first, but it’s actually a powerful way to make stories come alive. We have been drawing to understand.

Have you ever tried sketching something from a story you just read? Drawing or doodling after reading can help you express what’s happening inside your head. Instead of simply answering questions, you can bring the story to life through quick sketches or little visual notes.

When students draw scenes, characters, or emotions from a chapter, they’re doing much more than decorating their notebooks: they’re thinking deeply about what they read. Turning words into images helps the brain remember ideas better and encourages readers to reflect on what truly matters in the story.

In "James and the Giant Peach" our students sketched the early life of James and then retold it to the class, using their doodles as their only support. These visual notes make reading more exciting and help readers process the story in a more personal and meaningful way.

In secondary education, using small drawings while taking notes or reviewing a chapter makes reading more engaging and fun. It also supports different types of learners, especially those who think best in pictures! According to the University of Pamplona, art is “a very relevant resource for improving understanding.”

So next time you finish a chapter, don’t rush to the next page right away. Take a moment to doodle your favorite part, the setting, or how a character feels. Your small drawings can reveal big ideas and they might even help you see the story in a whole new way!