Art &

Illustration
Colby Jacobsen

WHY USE ART & ILLUSTRATION?

Our goal, as teachers, is for children to become
knowledgeable, critical thinkers who are good at problem
solving. In order to do this, we must understand the
“how” of teaching. We must stimulate curiosity. We must
teach children how to analyze problems on their own and
allow them to practice solving problems creatively. We
need to help them energetically absorb, remember, and
apply skills and knowledge. Art and illustration can help
us do that.
What are the benefits of art and illustration
• Art and illustration encourage joyful, active learning
• They help students make and express personal connections to content.
• They help children understand and express abstract concepts.
• They stimulate higher level thinking.
• They build community and help children develop collaborative work skill.

Children with learning disabilities often come to think they are incapable of learning because of their ongoing
difficulties in school. A paintbrush, a costume, a drum or paper, scissors and glue can be new tools for self-expression
that boost confidence while providing opportunities for learning and practice.

For English language learners, art and illustration help build important vocabulary and literacy skills. Students use these
aids to recall, comprehend, and understand main ideas.

Procedures for implementation:

• Drawing/Painting/Illustrating: Reinforce motor skills
o Learning shapes, contrasts, boundaries, spatial relationships, size and other math concepts
§ Ex: Draw out vocabulary cards so students connect a word with their drawing to understand the
meaning
§ Ex: Create comic strips to tell a story
§ Ex: Draw/paint (use art media) the narrative of a story to ensure understanding of the plot,
climax, character development, etc.
• Music: Teaches children about rhythm, sound and pitch
o Recognizing the beats in a song can help children learn rhymes and other features of reading such as
phonological awareness
§ Ex: Have students learn the song “Miss Mary Mack”. Based on the sounds of this song, have
students identify all of the soft “a” sounds
o Using repetitive songs to learn academic facts can make the learning experience easier and more fun
§ Ex: School house rock songs are full of facts and enhance memory development
• Dance: Provides children with a social way to learn about sequencing, rhythm and following directions
o Develops coordination and motor control, students can also learn counting and directionality, which
can enhance reading and writing concepts - such as understanding the difference between similar
looking letters (like p/b/d/q), telling left from right, number ordering, telling time, etc.
§ Ex: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the difference between a.m. and p.m. times by
identifying what they do at certain times of day vocally and through movement
• Performing plays: Provides an opportunity for children to immerse themselves in a theme and learn about it in a
profound and personal way
o Acting out historical or literary figures and events gives students a sense of ownership about what
they've learned, allowing them to acquire a deeper appreciation of the subject matter
§ Ex: Students role play different historical events which get them moving, researching these
events, and re-enacting them to better understand
• Crafts: Offer children the opportunity to express themselves in two- and three-dimensional ways
o Students can develop vital problem-solving skills without having to rely on areas of expression that may
be more challenging
§ Ex: Students use their knowledge of 2D and 3D shapes to create their own examples of them
and explain the differences amongst them

Disabilities that can benefit from these strategies:

• Autism, Asperger syndrome
• ADHD
• Dyslexia. Dysgraphia
 References:

References:

Dunn, M. (2013). Using Art Media During Prewriting: Helping Students with Dysgraphia Manage Idea
Generation Before Encoding Text. Exceptionality,21(4), 224-237. doi:10.1080/09362835.2013.802234

Russell, J., & Zembylas, M. (n.d.). Arts Integration in the Curriculum: A Review of Research and Implications
for Teaching and Learning. International Handbook of Research in Arts Education Springer International
Handbook of Research in Arts Education,287-312. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-3052-9_18

Short, D., & Echevarria, J. (2004). Teacher Skills to Support English Language Learners. Educational
Leadership,62(4), 8-13. Retrieved from
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.620.4481&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Snyder, L., Klos, P., & Grey-Hawkins, L. (2014). Transforming Teaching through Arts Integration. Journal for
Learning Through the Ar,(10). Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1050605.pdf.

Sosin, A., Bekkala, E., & Pepper-Sanello, M. (2010). Visual Arts as a Lever for Social Justice Education: Labor
Studies in the High School Art Curriculum. Journal for Learning Through the Ar,(6). Retrieved from
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4dz3n7zb.

Other References:

Dunkin, A. (2006). Dancing in your school: A guide for preschool and elementary school teachers. Hightstown,
NJ: Princeton Book.

http://www.ldonline.org/article/30031

http://www.aems-
edu.org/PDFs/Promotion_of_Arts_Integration_to_Build_Social_and_Academic_Development.pdf