In Beyond Picture Walks: Revaluing Picturebooks as Written and Pictorial Texts, the authors praise the picture walk as a comprehension strategy, but explain that the way they are commonly used in the classroom frames the illustrations as merely an accessory to the words. This article argues that artists', including illustrators use colors and symbols to create meaning in their work and decoding that meaning can be a very meaningful activity for students.
The first thing the authors need of their students is for them to "revalue" picturebooks. They explain that "in our context, we use revalue to mean identifying and highlighting a less-valued aspect of picturebooks, namely, reading the meanings in the pictorial text." Not only can paying attention to the pictures aid in understanding the story, this practice can teach students about the emotions associated with different colors, why artists use different styles of art, and how artists use elements like line to portray movement or urgency. These evaluation skills have the ability to help students in and out of the classroom.
For instance, in their research the authors observe an art teacher's collaborative lesson with the nonfiction book a class of third-graders is reading. The art teacher uses illustrations from this book to demonstrate principles of design. "Stacey used illustrations to talk about how McCurdy's use of neutral colors emphasized the extremely cold temperature, how his use of shapes with pointed edges depicted danger..." Students then chose a sentence from the story to illustrate. In this way, students learned about the similarities and differences between conveying a message in written and visual forms.
The authors found at the end of their study that by using revaluing with picture walks, students were more confident moving between sign systems and taking ownership of their interpretations. It is not hard to see how these skills apply to life outside the classroom. Students who are confident making meaning from written and visual sign systems are better equipped to begin navigating the internet, text messages, and the bombardment of advertising present in everyday life. Teaching students to value and interpret both written and visual information is a necessary skill in today's classrooms.
Maderazo, C., Martens, P., Croce, K., et. al. (2010). Beyond Picture Walks: Revaluing Picturebooks as Written and Pictorial Texts. Language Arts. Vol. 87 (No. 6). pp. 437-446. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41804215
The first thing the authors need of their students is for them to "revalue" picturebooks. They explain that "in our context, we use revalue to mean identifying and highlighting a less-valued aspect of picturebooks, namely, reading the meanings in the pictorial text." Not only can paying attention to the pictures aid in understanding the story, this practice can teach students about the emotions associated with different colors, why artists use different styles of art, and how artists use elements like line to portray movement or urgency. These evaluation skills have the ability to help students in and out of the classroom.
For instance, in their research the authors observe an art teacher's collaborative lesson with the nonfiction book a class of third-graders is reading. The art teacher uses illustrations from this book to demonstrate principles of design. "Stacey used illustrations to talk about how McCurdy's use of neutral colors emphasized the extremely cold temperature, how his use of shapes with pointed edges depicted danger..." Students then chose a sentence from the story to illustrate. In this way, students learned about the similarities and differences between conveying a message in written and visual forms.
The authors found at the end of their study that by using revaluing with picture walks, students were more confident moving between sign systems and taking ownership of their interpretations. It is not hard to see how these skills apply to life outside the classroom. Students who are confident making meaning from written and visual sign systems are better equipped to begin navigating the internet, text messages, and the bombardment of advertising present in everyday life. Teaching students to value and interpret both written and visual information is a necessary skill in today's classrooms.
Maderazo, C., Martens, P., Croce, K., et. al. (2010). Beyond Picture Walks: Revaluing Picturebooks as Written and Pictorial Texts. Language Arts. Vol. 87 (No. 6). pp. 437-446. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41804215
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