Visual Literacy in Content-Area Instruction

Visual sources are increasingly prevalent in today's society. This cross-curricular resource provides teachers with new and engaging strategies to help students closely read visual texts. Teachers will learn to evaluate the complexity of visual texts and match them to their students. Students will learn to analyze visual sources, understand both explicit and implicit messages, interpret underlying meaning, and engage in meaningful discussion.

Based on practical research, this approach offers students engagement in the full suite of Language Arts as defined by the International Reading Association and National Council of Teachers of English: reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and visually representing. The strategies are divided by purpose (receptive and productive strategies) and arranged by content area to support all teachers. For each content area, grades K-1 and 2-3 samples lessons are provided.

With concrete tools and techniques and a wide range of suggested visual texts to use in the classroom, teachers can prepare students for interaction with primary sources, digital media, and the visual-heavy world of 21st century learning. Digital downloads of visual texts and student pages are included.