Research Support on Visual Arts...
McCarty, K. A. (2007). The effects of visual arts integration at the elementary level: A review of literature. 1-20. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED496132.pdf
This article explains studies done on the effectiveness of integrating visual arts into core curriculum and its impact on the elementary reading levels. Including visual arts instruction in the classroom not only impacts emergent readers, reading test scores, and reading comprehension, but also other core content areas. Visual art is one of the multiple intelligences that help students learn and perform at their maximum potential.
Barnett, M. (2013). The arts as a bridge to literacy. Principal, 20-22.
This article supports the idea of arts in literacy instruction by explaining how literacy requires communication between the vision, hearing, and language centers of the mind and arts activities actually work to activate these areas of the brain. It also provides arts and literacy tips and reasons for activating change in schools to switch to a more arts-centric approach to learning including setting aside planning time and utilizing partnerships.
Richards, J. C. & Gipe, J. P. (2000). Linking literacy lessons with the visual arts: Preservice teachers’ dilemmas and accomplishments. Art Education, 53 (3), 33-39.
This article highlights research done in a school division where preservice teachers have integrated visual arts with literacy in their lessons. It discusses the problems and successes of the teachers and the importance of teaching preservice teachers how to integrate their lessons so that they can model them for their own students. This article discusses specific experiences of various teachers with integrating visual arts and how it has improved the learning of their students.
Lin, C., & ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, E. I. (2003). Literacy instruction through communicative and visual arts. ERIC Digest. ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading English and Communication, 1-6.
This digest explores research found to support integrating communicative and visual arts in the classroom. When paired with visual arts such as comic books, television viewing, multimedia, and dramatic performances, the communicative arts of reading, writing, and speaking become a tool for motivation and engagement for more students. This is because, this kind of instruction better meets student’s various learning styles than implementing traditional instructional methods.
Wells, J. D. (2014). The me inside myself: Visual art meets reading, writing and beyond. Arts & Activities, 156(1), 34-35, 40.
This article provides information on a sample lesson that a teacher taught in her classroom using visual art state standards and language arts standards. It not only gives the specific standards used to implement these types of lessons, but it also lists learning objectives for elementary students. This article provides an example of what integrating the arts with literacy looks like in the classroom.
Whitin, P., & Moench, C. (2015). Preparing elementary teachers for arts integration. Art Education, 68(2), 36-41.
Information from this article supports the importance of engaging preservice teachers in experiences that prepare them to provide opportunities for students to work with art within language arts curricula. However, they should also be informed how to best utilize partnerships with art teachers and programs in order to provide this type of integrated instruction. Experiences with the arts in literacy increase the imagination, observational skills, and promote critical thinking all of which can be brought to their writing.
Franco, M., & Unrath, K. (2014). Carpe diem: Seizing the common core with visual thinking strategies in the visual arts classroom. Art Education, 67(1), 28-32.
This article looks at integrating visual arts with not just literacy, but specifically the common core standards. It examines the seven capacities shown in literate individuals and how they work with visual thinking strategies in a visual arts classroom. Research has shown that the arts have a key and important role in attaining the best aspects of the Common Core.
O'Neil, K. E. (2011). Reading pictures: Developing visual literacy for greater comprehension. Reading Teacher, 65(3), 214-223. doi:10.1002/TRTR.01026
This article explores the interaction between a text and its illustrations and their role in a student’s comprehension. It provides various activities to help classroom teachers instruct their students on developing their visual literacy skills. Each activity is divided into the area that it helps develop and may work well with other picture books as well, not just the one listed.
