Note: Be sure to review all books before determining if they are appropriate to share with your students and adhere to your district and school’s curriculum.
Art teachers are often asked how they are incorporating reading and writing to support core content areas and boost test scores. But have you considered how the inverse is also true? Words and images are both forms of communication that are highly intertwined. Connecting literature and art can enrich the visual art experience and enhance communication skills. Integrate reading and writing to create a synergy that your students will end up appreciating and enjoying for years to come!
Encourage reading and writing in the art room with the 12 ideas below.
1. Curate a classroom library.
Set up a bookshelf in a visible and accessible space in your room. If you don’t have space, stack some books on top of a cabinet or countertop. Try to build a library that includes a variety of texts such as artist books, picture books, and poetry books. Incorporate student suggestions for types of books to include. Once you gather a large collection, rotate the books to keep things fresh.
Here are some books to add to your library:
- 6 Picture Books to Prompt an Awareness of Self and Others
- 100 Children’s Books About Diversity and Inclusion
- 70 Children’s Books About Famous Artists
- 27 Incredible Books for the High School Art Room
2. Title student artwork every time!
It’s so easy to complete an art project and move on to the next one. Before you do, take a few minutes for students to generate a title for each artwork. The first time you do this, discuss the importance of titling your artwork. This practice connects meaningful text with imagery and provides guidance on how to interpret or “read” the artwork. Along these lines, require students to sign their name on each completed piece too!
3. Write warm-ups.
Establish a routine where students start each class with a short writing activity. Writing sets the tone for the entire class period and prompts students to communicate their thoughts via words in addition to the drawing, painting, or sculpting they will do for the bulk of the period. This can be a very quick yet powerful activity that only takes a few minutes.
Here are some warm-up ideas to kickstart your students’ creative brains:
- Participate in a TAG Critique on an in-progress artwork.
- Practice calligraphy and handwriting drills.
- Respond to a prompt like, “What if…” or “Once upon a time…“
- Identify an element of art from an artwork on the board.
4. Expand on learning with haiku poetry.
Put a spin on your exit tickets by requiring students to write in haikus. Use simple prompts such as, “Share one thing you learned today” or “What is one thing you still have questions about?” This challenges students to think a little more critically and creatively about their answers. Plus, students have a surprising amount of fun reading their responses!
5. Create vocabulary posters.
Vocabulary posters are an excellent beginning-of-the-year project or a chill way to end a unit. Individually or in small groups, choose an Element or Principle to create a poster on and display it in the classroom for the year. This is a great way to introduce or review concepts and decorate your walls while you’re at it! During the year, recap learning with vocabulary posters from the latest lesson or unit. Add a hilarious twist by requiring students to use hip words such as mid, cringe, or drip.
6. Compose artist statements.
Accompany every artwork with a corresponding artist statement. This practice helps students articulate their creative processes and intentions, enhancing communication skills. No matter what writing level your students are at, there are prompts and strategies to get your students to express themselves through text. Customize artist statement activities based on specific skills or concepts you want students to focus on or how much time you can allot in a period.
7. Expose articles on up-and-coming artists and current events.
Regularly share articles on contemporary and emerging artists with your students. Spark conversations about current trends and techniques in the art world to make the subject matter more relevant and exciting. Follow the Smithsonian’s Smart News Arts & Culture or other digital art newsletters for the latest happenings!
8. Reference key texts with each project.
When introducing a new project, artwork, or artist, include any relevant texts. For instance, if students are examining Vincent van Gogh’s work, read excerpts of his letters so they can immerse themselves in his world. If students are learning about Corita Kent’s typography in Yellow Submarine, pull some news articles about the Vietnam War to provide students with cultural context. Also, share Kent’s “rules” so students can understand her creative process. Including a short artist quote can help immensely with exposure and interest!
9. Bring pamphlets from art museums into your classroom.
There are tons of virtual museums and digital museum activities but there is something special about tangible, tactile resources. The next time you visit an art museum, grab a bunch of complimentary pamphlets to bring back to your classroom. Use them to learn about artists, art movements, or museum collections. Stop by the front desk and ask for educational resources. Many museums have an education department or classroom and many free student activities, posters, and worksheets!
10. Dedicate a spot on the board to share what you are currently reading.
Dedicate a section of your classroom board to share what you’re reading. This simple act models a love for reading and can spark curiosity and conversation with your students about literature. This can also help create connections through shared interests.
11. Share books that are works of art.
Books don’t just have to be about art—they can be the art! Some books are beautifully designed or illustrated. Discuss the role of graphic designers, illustrators, and comic artists to show the intersection of visual art and storytelling. Introduce artists’ books and altered books and how they challenge the notion of what a traditional book is. For more resources on how to do this, watch the Sequential Book Arts Pack in PRO Learning. Then, take students on an in-school field trip to the library where they search for books they believe are works of art.
12. Invite the English teacher to collaborate.
Collaborate with the English or Language Arts teacher to create interdisciplinary projects that blend literature and art. There are so many historical movements and genres that merge these two disciplines. For high schoolers reading The Great Gatsby, show the Art Deco movement to help students visualize the time period they are reading about. Reinforce storytelling and narrative concepts by creating illustrations for poems or short stories covered in English class. Collaboration is a way to lighten your workload, create valuable connections with other colleagues, and showcase how everything in our world is interconnected.
Reading and writing aren’t just for core classes! Bringing text into the art curriculum will enhance the visual art experience and create deeper meaning. Students will begin to see reading and writing as essential tools in their creative toolkit to help them better communicate and comprehend ideas, stories, and messages. Plus, you have a huge opportunity to inspire a lifelong love of literature and art in your students. Implement the strategies above to bridge the gap between words and images in simple, meaningful, and fun ways this year!
How have you seen literature benefit your student artists?
What books inspire your artwork?
Where in your daily teaching practice do you incorporate reading and writing?
Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.
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