This article shares the authors' work with first graders and how, through various reading, writing, and art experiences around picturebooks, the children learned to read and communicate through art along with written language. The work is grounded in multimodality theory and the belief that all modes (particularly art for the purposes of this…

This article presents an arts integration program that uses drama and dance to promote foundational literacy skills, with an emphasis on the oral development of English Language Learners (ELLs). Previous research indicates that arts activities afford a beneficial opportunity for young students to practice language skills, but many teachers have…

Describes how students can draw mural-like story maps and colorful renditions of favorite poems, creating a print-rich environment in the elementary classroom. (MM)

Describes Image-making Within the Writing Process, an innovative art-based literacy program designed to entice even the most discouraged of learners with a series of process-oriented art explorations and concrete tools for thinking through and designing stories. (SR)

Describes using author-illustrator studies with primary-age children both to enrich possibilities for response and to enhance an appreciation for the visual arts. Discusses organizing and implementing an author-illustrator unit; initiating, rereading, and discussing; extending through art exploration; and extending throughout the curriculum. (SR)

Provides an artistic prewriting activity to help students design the characters in the stories they write. (MG)

Argues that the unique interrelationship of art, reading, and writing offers teachers a variety of opportunities to nurture students' artistic imagination. Describes several strategies that can be used to explore images through writing and to explore images through reading. (SR)

Discusses what a sign system is, using the examples of art, music, drama, mathematics, and language. Explores how people use signs, and research on sign systems. Investigates how multiple sign systems can be incorporated into the classroom. Notes that supporting learners' flexible use of multiple sign systems may offer a better way to teach…

Students can be motivated to share their reading interests and their writing talents by creating book report mobiles. After students have read a book, they begin their mobile by attaching string to an empty box which has been covered with plain paper. Next, they decorate one side of the mobile with a drawing which illustrates the story or they…

Provides sources of information for (1) the rationale and theory for integrating the arts and reading instruction, (2) practical suggestions to combine reading and the arts, (3) the results of research that investigated the integration of reading with the arts. (FL)

Asserts that students' reading comprehension is enhanced by sharing personal text interpretations through social interaction in the reading classroom. Presents three lessons which encourage sharing and extending text comprehension by exploring text meaning through art; by developing a Readers Theatre script; and by shifting question-asking…

Describes an art technique--creating paper dolls of main characters--to help remedial readers develop their comprehension of characters in novels. (MM)

Uses a thematic unit on Japan to show how software can become an additional resource for elementary students' literacy learning in social studies, science, language arts, and art. Notes that the five-week unit addresses Japan's culture and customs. (RS)

Shows how child-centered activities, such as art, can spark reading interest with remedial readers. (Author/RL)