Taking a Deep Dive Into Picture Book Illustrations in the Classroom

/

One of the benefits of using picture books in the classroom, including middle grades classrooms, is developing visual literacy. But how can we make sure we’re doing this effectively?

 
Taking a Deep Dive Into Picture Book Illustrations in the Classroom. A teaching and learning blog post exploring visual literacy in the classroom with ideas for teaching it to students #visualliteracy #picturebooks
 

The Importance of Visual Literacy

Visual literacy is the ability to understand and make meaning from information which is presented in the form of an image. We use simple visual literacy every day as adults - from the signs we use when we’re driving, to the icons on our phones. Visual literacy gets more complicated, however, when we look at artworks, media photography, social media images and advertising.

When we look at old newspapers, it’s not uncommon to see a full page of text. These days, front pages are more likely to be a combination of images and headlines, with very little news story text. Social media prioritises images over text, especially on those platforms built on images such as instagram. And advertising is using more and more complicated imagery to reach customers. Understanding what pictures are trying to say to us allows our students to be better readers and more thoughtful participants in the world as they grow older.

 
Taking a Deep Dive Into Picture Book Illustrations in the Classroom. A teaching and learning blog post exploring visual literacy in the classroom with ideas for teaching it to students #visualliteracy #picturebooks
 

Telling the Story Through Illustrations

Picture books are a great way to teach visual literacy because they ask students to take a closer look at a text form which is already familiar to them. Most children are exposed to picture books before they learn to read, so they’re used to examining the pictures, ‘reading’ what is in them and using them to help them understand what the whole book is about.

Many picture book illustrations also tell us the story that isn’t in the words. In Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French, there are all sorts of things in Bruce Whatley’s illustrations which tell us the real story about Mothball’s opponent (the doormat) and the impact Mothball is having on her surroundings (it’s very, very bad). Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey makes a lot less sense without the illustrations, and make sure you keep an eye on what those mischievous monsters are up to in Nick Bland’s The Wrong Book!

When we start pointing this out to students, we’re letting them know that images have messages for us - that they’re telling us more information and that they can be as important as the words we read. It’s definitely worth the time investment to compare the text and the images when you’re reading picture books.

 
Taking a Deep Dive Into Picture Book Illustrations in the Classroom. A teaching and learning blog post exploring visual literacy in the classroom with ideas for teaching it to students #visualliteracy #picturebooks
 

What Can We Tell From Pictures?

Have you read any books with Shaun Tan’s beautiful illustrations? I have spent a lot of time with Shaun Tan books because they are amazing, but one of my very favourite teaching memories was spending time exploring The Arrival with my students. This is a book with absolutely no words - or no words in a language we know. 

As the students read this with me, they found images they were familiar with - like photographs - and less familiar ones which we would have to dive into. Sometimes they would read the images better than me and we’d all learn from it together as we built the story out of the images.

Wordless picture books are amazing tools for developing both visual literacy and an understanding of how stories can be told. Jeannie Baker’s Window and Belonging are another example of these texts - and are a little easier to read - which students can spend ages looking over, pulling out all the little tales woven into the images.

Matching Pictures and Words

Another way to use children’s book illustrations to engage in visual literacy is by asking students to put the words and the pictures together. You should use a book the students aren’t so familiar with. You can use a photocopier or a photo and projector to share the page with the words removed. Offer the students a selection of words which could go into that space and ask them to choose the best one. Ask them to reflect on their choice and whether any of the other words might have worked.

Alternatively, you can present the students with the images and ‘incorrect’ text. Ask them if the pictures and words go together. Why? And if not, what should the words be.

By doing this, you’re asking the students to be more thoughtful when they see words and images together - this is something which can be reinforced by reading graphic novels - good visual literacy is definitely required there!

Do you explore visual literacy in your classroom? Share your experiences in the comments

 
 
 
 

Should You Read a Picture Book to Your Class Every Day?

/

We all know about the benefits of picture books in the classroom and how we can use them regularly to improve literacy and learning. But should we insist on reading them to our students every day? Should we be feeling guilty if we miss a day? Why are we reading picture books every day?

 
Should You Read a Picture Book to Your Class Every Day? A teaching and learning blog post exploring the pressure to read certain books to students every day and the impact on teacher self care #picturebooks #teacherselfcare
 

The Benefits

Picture books are a wonderful tool to use in the classroom. Many of them use thoughtful language, a range of text structures and clever writing. Others use beautiful and interesting illustrations which tell us as much as the words, helping us explore visual literacy. Picture books are easy to fit into smaller amounts of time and are easier to share with groups of students.

So if they’re this good, should we make sure we’re reading them every single day?

Why and How Are You Reading Them?

You really can’t answer the question of whether you should be reading picture books every day, unless you know why you’re reading them and how you approach reading in your classroom. Is it a goal for you or for your students? Is there other reading happening in your classroom or is it your primary reading? Do you only read at one time in the day, or do you pick up books at several times? 

As you’re reflecting on this, you may like to write yourself a little ‘mission statement’ - a short piece of text which explains why reading to your students is important to you and how you’re going to share that importance.

Taking the Pressure Off Yourself

Once you have a clear idea of why and how you’re sharing picture books with your students, step back a little and take some pressure off yourself. There are going to be some days where things just don’t work and you may not get to picture books. There’s going to be some days where time restraints stress you out or new things pop up unexpectedly. It’s ok to let things go - including reading every single day.

It’s worth remembering that reading should be a joyful thing in the classroom - a thing of delight. Your students will know if you’re stressed about fitting reading in - or stressed that reading is taking time you need for other classroom activities. 

But . . . don’t forget that reading a funny or comfortable book can be regulating and calming on those stressed out days. It’s also ok to stop and read when you and your class need it.

 
Should You Read a Picture Book to Your Class Every Day? A teaching and learning blog post exploring the pressure to read certain books to students every day and the impact on teacher self care #picturebooks #teacherselfcare
 

Should You Be the Only Person to Read to Them?

Who reads aloud in your classroom? Is it you and only you? And if so . . . could you change that up a bit?

Is there a student who enjoys reading aloud? Or if your students are pre-readers, have you got a student willing to retell a familiar book to their classmates? Have you got a teacher’s assistant who would like to read to the students, or a non-classroom teacher who would like to be an occasional reader? Can you have parent or community volunteers who read to the students, or readers from another grade level?

If you’re not the only one reading, you may be able to fit more books in without feeling the pressure to fit more books in!

It Doesn’t Have to Be a Number Game

Lots of classrooms like recording the number of books they read together - and this can be a great way to get students excited about books. But if it’s a stress to you, you don’t have to do it. 

Keeping record of the books you read as a class can be as simple as adding the title to a poster on your classroom wall (something your students can do). Or you can get a little more complicated by displaying an image of the cover in your classroom or keeping a record book of all the different books and what they’re about.

Do you try to read daily with your students? Share your experiences in the comments

 
 
 
 

Exploring the Plots of Picture Books with Triptychs

/

One of the important skills you’re exploring picture books with your students is identifying what happens at the beginning, the middle and the end of the picture book. One art activity you can use to help with that is the triptych. Read on to learn more about this interesting way to demonstrate understanding.

 
Exploring the Plots of Picture Books with Triptychs. A teaching and learning blog post exploring a book report alternative using art to explore plot in picture books #literacy #picturebooks
 

What is a Triptych?

The word triptych is derived from a greek word meaning three-fold. Essentially it is an art work made up from three panels. Traditionally, these panels are connected by hinges, allowing the two side panels to fold in on top of the middle panel. They were first introduced in the middle ages as religious art work - their design allowed them to be folded and stored or carried to another place while being protected. They often tell a story and are intended to be read from the left to the right. 

How Can You Use a Triptych to Discuss Plot?

Because a triptych tells a story in three parts, it’s the perfect art medium to discuss the beginning, the middle and the end of a picture book. Students look into the picture book to consider how they might portray the beginning, what elements of the story would be most important to focus on when looking at the middle of the story and how the story ends.

 
 

What Kind of Picture Books Will Work?

This is actually a great question to pose to students! Because you need to portray the beginning, the middle and the end, you do want a picture book which has those things! Some of the early childhood picture books which focus on repetitive text (like Where is the Green Sheep? or Dear Zoo) probably won’t work so well (though, you could challenge some particularly creative students to try!). A very long picture book with a lot of events may also be too difficult. 

For younger students, you will probably want to concentrate on books with a clear beginning, middle and end. For example, the Pig the Pug books start with a set up, move into some form of disaster, then show us the conclusion. For older students, you may like to challenge them with more complex story structures, though they will probably also get a lot out of the clear beginning to end books as well.

 
 

What Do Students Need to Know When They’re Creating Their Triptych?

Like any art activity, students need to start by planning. They should think about what is important at the beginning, during the middle and at the end and then brainstorm ideas of how they can portray this.

Once they have planned this, students can begin drafting ideas for their triptych. How they do this will depend on the art medium they are using, but many students will begin by sketching their ideas before they start to work on their actual project.

Before students begin working on their good copy, they need to think about how they might be hinged together. Capturing ribbon between the artwork and a backing page is an easy way to create a flexible, but strong hinge, but you can always challenge students to create their own hinges using paper, cloth, ribbon or other materials.

Are you looking for teaching materials to scaffold a plot triptych? Sign up to the free resource library to get yours now.

Have you used art as your book related activities? Share your experiences in the comments.