ART AND ILLUSTRATION IN EDUCATION

SUPPORTING STUDENT LEARNING THROUGH CREATIVE PURSUITS

WHEN IN DOUBT… POSTER IT OUT! THE POWER OF VIEWING

NOTHING TO DO? SCISSORS AND GLUE!
Creating visuals to support knowledge acquisition
Creating posters as an
informal or formal assessment is a
great way to combine art and
communication skills. Students
become engaged in the work as
they have the chance to show
their knowledge in visual form –
especially for students who
struggle with linguistic
communication
due to disorders
or learning
English.
The action
of cutting out
images,
arranging them
"THE ARTS REPRESENT A DIRECT CONNECTION
BETWEEN CREATIVE AND ANALYTICAL THOUGHT, AND
THEY PROVIDE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL METHODS TO
CONVEY ACADEMIC IDEAS IN AN ENGAGING AND
SUBSTANTIVE MANNER" –Reif and Grant, 2010
AND MAKING ART
Images transcend language
creatively and barriers and communication
combining art and disorders. Using art as a
writing in one place
method of instruction and
assessment supports students
can also support of all learning levels. Students
students with ADHD by can draw their knowledge,
providing motor build mind maps or graphic
organizers to prep for more
activities for their hands,
complex assignments or
while their brains think. create posters combining
visuals and words to practice
synthesis and analysis of
information.
Art can also be used to teach.
Picture books engage students
and facilitate inferential
thinking; art can spur
discussions of history and
science.
STUDENTS USED
POSTERS TO Art integration into standard
SHOW curriculum courses has been
KNOWLEDE OF
especially effective for at-risk
BIOMOLECULES
students, students with autism
and communication disorders,
students with mathematics
based learning disabilities and
students learning English.

EVIDENCE OF EFFECTIVENESS
Bopegedera, A. (2005). The art and science of light: An interdisciplinary teaching and learning experience. Journal of
Chemical Education, 82(1), 55-59.
Brook, M. G. (2008). Outcome-based evaluation of a social skills program using art therapy and group therapy for children on
the autism spectrum. Children and Schools, 30(1), 27-36.
Li, X., Kenzy, P., Underwood, L., & Severson, L. (2015). Dramatic impact of action research of arts-based teaching on at-risk
students. Educational Action Research, 23(4), 567-580.
Morin, L., Watson, S., Hester, P., & Raver, S. (2017). The use of a bar model drawing to teach word problem solving to students
with mathematics difficulties. Learning Disability Quarterly, 40(2), 91-104.
Osborne, J. (2003). Art and the child with autism: Therapy or education? Early Child Development and Care, 173(4), 411-423.
Reif, N., & Grant, L. (2010). Culturally responsive classrooms through art integration. Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education,
5(1), 100-114. doi: 10.9741/2161-2978.1035
Sundeen, T. (2014). Essay development for secondary students with learning disabilities: Graphic organizers for visualizing
organizational patterns. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 33(3), 29-36.
 Supporting student learning through creative pursuits

MIND MAPS AND GRAPHICS AND BAR CHARTS, OH MY!

Turning ideas into images to support struggling students
Graphic representations of Mind maps are great for taking English language learning and
multi-step learning activities can notes and prepping for essays, bar charts are a great way to
help students stay on task, graphics support vocabulary create physical representations
organize thoughts and avoid development for mild of challenging math word
becoming overwhelmed by work. developmental delays and problems.

Guided
drawing of
word
problems

Mind map for essay planning Vocab graffiti for science class

Ways art is being used to teach subject matter:

1. Using Make Beliefs Comix to generate comics and help students with emotional
disorders process emotional issues.
2. Studying Mexican mosaics in geometry class to help English language learners feel
welcome
3. Designing Shakespearean sets to learn about Elizabethan England
4. Teaching the physics of light through studying colors in paintings

BUILDING ART, BUILDING COMMUNITY

Teaching social skills, academic skills and respect through art
Bringing art into a curricular
classroom is easy! To do it, just use
it to support instruction as projects
and assessments, learning
support, reading material or as a
full part of the curriculum
providing the relevancy for new
knowledge,
4 Steps for Success:
1. Get paper, colored
pencils and markers and
make them available for
students.
2. Choose a concept to
have them DRAW or use a
graphic organizer to have
them write down their
thoughts on a topic.
3. Ask students to reflect and
discuss what they drew or
how they organized it.
4. Try another method!
For example: Creating a
mural of an ecosystem as
a class (especially great
for students with autism).
Draw detailed pictures of
word problems (Students
with learning and math
based disabilities will
excel). Have a Socratic
seminar about a piece of
art or a picture book
(wonderful for students
struggling with English or
verbal communication)