Interpreting Literature through Visual Arts
Learning Targets
At the end of this lesson, you are expected to
discuss the role of visual arts in developing literacy skills among children;
identify examples of creative experiences and activities for school-age
children; and
reflect on creative experiences that can be used in the classroom.
Introduction
The paintings and sculptures of the leading artists of the Renaissance,
Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, are prized interpretations of a
beloved text. So has the Bible inspired visual arts for centuries, which
through carefully chosen words were created works of arts. Using visual
arts as a form to interact with literature can do much to promote literacy
among learners. These visual arts may include painting, sketching and
drawing, sculpture (clay, dough), photography and digital art, textiles,
mosaics, pottery, crafts, stamping, group murals, fashion and fabrics, and
multicultural art. This is not to suggest that a literature teacher would teach
art and engage the students in crafting art than teach literature, Rather, this
strategy is meant to make the learner see and discover for himself what
special meaning literature may offer beyond absorbing knowledge. There
are limitless potentials and literacy that young learners, children for that
matter, can derive in the study of literature through the creative arena, such
as the visual arts. It is the aim of this lesson to make you as a future
literature guru to make that possible by nurturing the holistic development
of your learners intellectually, socially, and emotionally through visual arts
(Langer, 1990).
THINK
Our experiences tell us that some children inhibit themselves from talking,
perhaps due to a lack of facility of expression or due to some emotional
issues affecting them. This is where the arts come in as a powerful tool to
help children express themselves what they cannot do in words. When
words are hard to come by, creative expressions like drawing, painting,
sculpting, or other visual representation of their feelings open child-friendly
options and alternatives to enable them to express themselves and to show
what they know, thereby paving the way for healthy development and love
for learning (Gandini, 1992).
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A Course Module for Teaching Literacy in the Elementary Grades through
Literature
Given this golden opportunity to tap the creativity and ingenuity of young
minds and to make learning successful, the teacher is advised for that
matter not to be overbearing and domineering. Dictating what to do or what
to use would, and could, dampen the enthusiasm of the learner, unless it is
necessary when it involves developing a skill like sewing or writing an
essay where specific skills or strategies need to be taught (Althouse et al.,
2003).
Analyzing great literature, Zindler (2009) opines, is just like examining great
art, and the integration of arts in literature provides opportunities for
students on all levels to build strong literary skills as well as literacy skills in
writing, speaking, and listening. Just as probing questions are asked in
analyzing an art work, probing questions are similarly asked in literature.
Probing and analyzing selected works urges one to ask questions, pay
attention to details, conjecture and imagine, and to draw insightful
conclusions. Also, brainpower is stimulated to make meaning of words and
vocabulary. In this manner, as students internalize this habit of mind they
develop as readers and gain confidence to handle and delve willingly,
eagerly, and enthusiastically into more complex texts to broaden their
understanding of the world in unimaginable ways.
There is no disputing what Eisner (1998) wrote, "What cannot be conveyed
or constructed in words is often possible in visual images..." In "Learning
Art, Learning Literacy," DeFord (2014), educators with the expertise and
know-how on the interrelationship between arts and literacy examine books
of this nature to find out the truth behind Eisner's words.
In the first book, "The Power of Pictures," the author explains how teachers
can, through arts, urge students, particularly those who encounter
difficulties in learning, make great strides in the domains of both reading
and writing. Especially with children who do not have the facility of
expression, the author shows teachers how teaching literary text through
the medium of visual arts, be it a simple art work, can improve cognitive
skills and heighten literacy achievement. Given exposure to well-crafted
picture books, storybooks, and the like along with the opportunity to dabble
in art, these children, oozing with rich imagination and real-life experiences,
are able to recognize words and make artistic representations of these.
With more encouragement, soon enough they become confident to craft
and design their own creative works and literary "masterpieces."
In the second book, "Thinking and Learning through Drawing in Primary
Classrooms," the author points out how drawing provides the avenue for
children to be creative and to express themselves with more freedom and
less restraint. Whether they use drawing to express what they feel, what
they see, and what they know or to create what their minds conceive, this
artistic expression gives children a wider room to see and discover the
world from their limited worldview and arm them with the confidence and
assurance to be themselves as they grapple to present their own fresh
ideas in their art works. The book infuses a new perspective in the teaching
of literature by pointing out the uses of drawing as a powerful tool in lending
support and encouragement to how children think
CHAPTER 3 Interpreting Literary Texts for and with the Children
75
and learn. It equally gives compelling reasons for competent authority to
look into how arts, considering their practical uses, merit, and relevance,
can be integrated into the curriculum.
Arts are a powerful tool for literacy. Smith and Herring (1996) recognize the
arts as "hands on" experiences to build problem-solving and critical thinking
skills. This is true, as in the case when a student is given an art work to
accomplish, and the student has to muster all the skills like critical thinking,
decision-making, analysis, focus and concentration, negotiation and
bargaining, communication, team work, and collaboration to achieve his
purpose. These necessary set skills come to the fore and come in handy
on times like this (Siks, 1983). At the same time, this leads the student to a
time of reflection, contemplation, and self-awareness.
When arts activities are integrated into reading lessons, it is amazing how
children do not get tired telling and retelling stories about their experience
in creating their art work. This validates what Mathieson (2015), in her
action research study, found about the impact of arts activities upon the
learners' literacy skills.
Catterall (2002) goes further in saying that the satisfaction, fulfillment, and
the breadth of experience a learner derives from artistic reasoning, visual
arts instruction, and fashioning art works translate into improved writing
skills such as organizing and sequencing ideas and interpreting texts or
reading between the lines besides enhancing reasoning and way of
thinking and eagerness for reading. Other studies also present evidence
how the delight and pleasure in art-making experiences encourage
students to use and hone their skills in the performance of their tasks aside
from intensifying their interest in learning activities.
Finally, Fung (2013) in an earlier study, points out how the integration of
meaningful and purposeful artworks in the study of literature serves as a
fertile ground for innovativeness and creative ideas, in addition to
developing and enhancing self-confidence and promoting teamwork and
collaboration. It, thus, behooves teachers to impart learning in meaningful ways to make the
learner ever willing to learn.