What do you think this free throw shooter is doing right now? What is probably going on in his mind? Image posted on by jeffk:

"Proficient readers spontaneously and purposely create mental images while and after they read. The images emerge from all five senses as well as the emotions and are anchored in a reader's prior knowledge.” -- Keene and Zimmerman, Mosaic of Thought

1.Leg Up - Before you begin practicing 3-pointers, it’s important to have good form on your basic jump shot. When you’re ready to step behind the arc, much of your power is going to come from your legs. “The farther you are away from the basket, the more your lower body is going to come into play,” says Barry. “You have to have proper balance, with your feet at least shoulder-width apart and a deep knee bend that is going to [help] you get the ball to the rim.” Sharpen Your 3-Point Shooting with Brent Barry, Guard, San Antonio Spurs from Sports Illustrated for Kids, March 2008

2. Spin To Win – The ball should be centered in the palm of your shooting hand. Try to hold the ball the same way every time you shoot, “so that you have the same backspin on your shot consistently,” says Barry. Although most NBA players release the ball above their shoulder, “the release point for kids is going to be lower, somewhere around your upper chest.” Sharpen Your 3-Point Shooting with Brent Barry, Guard, San Antonio Spurs from Sports Illustrated for Kids, March 2008

3. Take Aim – There are many theories on where you should aim your shot, but the most important thing is that your aim shouldn’t change when you are shooting a trey. “If you aim at the front of the rim, the back of the rim, or the entire basket, it shouldn’t change if you’re shooting a six-foot shot,” says Barry. It’s also important that you follow through with your wrist bent forward toward the basket. Sharpen Your 3-Point Shooting with Brent Barry, Guard, San Antonio Spurs from Sports Illustrated for Kids, March 2008

 This object is round. It is three-dimensional, like a sphere. It is mostly orange but has several black stripes evenly spaced across it. It feels really bumpy, but with really small bumps. It smells like rubber, and is not very heavy. I can carry it with both hands.

 This object is about eight inches long, and seems to be made out of wood. It is very skinny, maybe one quarter of an inch wide. It feels mostly smooth, although one end is a little bumpy. It is mostly yellow, but one end is tan and gets skinner and skinnier until it turns into a black point. The other end has a silver section and has a small, pink rubber piece on the end.

 This object is about two feet long. It is rectangular, and is mostly made out of wood. Under the rectangular piece, there are four round pieces, one under each corner. Those round parts are made of metal. The rectangular wooden piece curves up a little at each end. It is a little bit heavy, but I can still carry it without a problem.

 This object is very light and easy to hold. There is a thin, cylindrical piece of plastic in the middle that fits perfectly in my hand. There is a small hole in the top of the plastic part, from which hundreds of long, skinny pieces of plastic come out. These long, skinny pieces of plastic are very thin. These long, thin pieces are two different colors – white and blue.

 NOTE TO TEACHER: There are several texts available on the reading wiki here: (Math teachers can just insert a word problem.)

 Pay attention to see if/when you visualize.  Look for descriptive words and phrases.  Add in your own background knowledge.  If you are having a hard time understanding what you are reading, see if you can create a mental picture to help. Image posted on by tm_Iv:

 Mark some passages you visualized with sticky notes.  Share something you visualized with a partner or the class.  Sketch something you visualize.  Other: ___________________