On the leading edge of literacy
More than 40 years ago—long before scientifically-based reading research or the Science of Reading became popular—Nanci Bell was already asking a different, deeper question: How do we help students truly understand what they read? Her answer reshaped the field of literacy.
Through her work with students and research, Bell identified the critical role of concept imagery—the ability to create mental representations from language—as the foundation of comprehension, critical thinking, and expressive language.
At a time when others focused primarily on decoding and skills in isolation, Bell connected the dots between mental imagery and reading (the imagery-language connection) offering a framework that explained why some students could read words fluently yet struggled to understand them. Bell developed the acclaimed Visualizing and Verbalizing® Program to remediate the gap in comprehension and critical thinking left when concept imagery isn’t developed fully.
Decades later, independent research has caught up to what Bell recognized early on: comprehension and critical thinking depends on the brain’s ability to create, hold in memory, and manipulate mental representations of written or spoken words.
Visualizing and Verbalizing has been implemented in Learning Centers, classrooms, and homes ever since. It is a proven approach, built by a true pioneer, that continues to transform how we understand and teach literacy today. Thousands of children and adults have benefited from Bell’s lifelong dedication to improving literacy.
This quote is from the foreword of the Visualizing and Verbalizing Teacher’s Manual:
