All Teachers are Teachers of Reading

Willow Brook
EDUC 340: Literacy & the Learner
12/2/14

On the first day of recitation, the class was asked, what do you read? The first thought that came
to mind were books; what is sitting on my bedside table or the textbooks and articles I need to
read for assignments. When the question was expanded on, our class read off a list of things

ranging from Facebook posts to physical body language. Reading is a strategy of decoding
anything from letters and sounds to characters and pictures. Literacy is defined as the ability to
communicate in real world situations and construct meaning which involves the abilities of
individuals to read, write, speak, listen, view, and think. Each of those aspects are a part of
reading. Teaching reading is to teach understanding of the entire world, therefore every teacher is
a teacher of reading.
As an art educator it is especially important to understand the significance of reading images. We
are ingesting images from the world every moment and learning from them. Ultimately, images
are a communication by means of inference. Each person may interpret the image differently
based by their perception and prior knowledge. Images help to grasp and keep our attention,
helping readers stay active. Often images transcend language and cultural boundaries. Images
can be especially useful with English Language Learners. In article titled Getting to Know You:
Using ABC Books to Develop Vocabulary and Exchange Cultural Information with English
Language Learners, image rich books are used to make connections with student background
experiences and prior knowledge. Many childrens books focus on a particular theme and
provide written and illustrative cues on a topic- features that are helpful to ELLs tackling English
learning tasks (Carger 11). It is faster to read an image than text and it requires less mental
power, especially when English is not the students first language.
Reading images helps to strengthen memory. Images are a valuable addition to education in any
content area. Sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch enter the brain as sensory memory and build
working memory and long term memory. By stimulating several senses with the information,
more brain connections are available when students need to recall that memory later on (Willis

10). By integrating reading images and videos into curriculum, students are able to feed multiple
senses and strengthen the brain.
Observing two English classrooms this semester, the education of reading was especially present.
During my first day with Mrs. ODonnells 6th grade English class, the students started with ten
minutes of silent reading; they sat at their desks and opened their science fiction books. Some
would doze off or get distracted, but they would refocus and continue. The room remained silent
for the entire duration. It is clear when students are given a book to read that they are ingesting
text in a form that is thought to be standard reading. In this class we also worked with editing
their writing with personal narratives. In this form, students were reading their own work and
editing and revising. During another class period, the tech experts came to teach programs to
make music. In this case, the students are learning how to read the program, what the symbols
mean and how to navigate the signs and tools of the program. One week the class went to the
library for a much anticipated book talk and the excitement could hardly be contained.
Researching potential books and literature texts is a practice in the standard kind of reading text.
The first day in Mrs. Scotts advanced 8th grade English, her students were using Norman
Rockwells painting Freedom From Fear to make inferences. This image is a depiction of a
mother tucking two young children into bed with a man holding a newspaper standing by her
side. There is a doll and a blanket on the ground and in the right corner there is a staircase
visible. This was an exciting observation as an art educator, seeing art history being used to
facilitate learning in an English classroom. Mrs. Scott was teaching her students how to
intentionally read an image and get valuable information about it. She was asking questions to
encourage deeper analysis. Mrs. Scott asked what the newspaper was for, why the kids were in
bed, and why there was a staircase. By using literacy skills, one can read two words on the

newspaper reading BOMBINGS HORROR. These words can only be read if the viewer tilts their
head, so the text is subtle but in the painting for a reason. The students were making remarkable
inferences and using prior knowledge about the time frame to come to conclusions. In this
scenario, Mrs. Scott was teaching her students how to read an image. Another class, students
were practicing homonyms, a skill of reading sounds and letters. The class also had a vocabulary
word of the day and one student researched the definition on their phone. Vocabulary is an
essential ingredient in reading. Reading Plus is another tool used for reading texts. CERC is a
school wide structure at Preston. Though it is a tool for writing and constructing an essay, it
requires reading and comprehension of the model in order to execute it. In one of Mrs. Scotts
classes, the students were reading an article about Ebola. This was actually my first experience
learning about the outbreak and it was great to see the students reading about such a relevant
topic. These current events are valuable in education to teach students how to educate themselves
about relevant everyday topics.
One art specific application from the semester is RAFT, a technique asking students to take on a
role of a writer, audience, format, and topic. As an example, I practiced with the role of a painted
canvas titled Yellow and Orange, audience of artist Mark Rothko, format of a letter from the
gallery, and topic of modern art.
An insiders view from the gallery:
Dear Mark Rothko,
Thank you for painting me with only a few beautiful colors. I really love watching everyones
faces as they see me hanging on the wall. Some people gaze with confusion, too distracted by
their intellectual minds to appreciate me. Others gawk at me with the famous, thats not art and
storm off without a second thought. Then there are those who are still enough to appreciate the

beauty of simplicity and can feel your energy in the hues. Some gape front and center while
others awkwardly try to pretend that they understand. Keep doing what you do, Dad.
Your child,
Yellow and Orange

The RAFT exercise helps students put themselves in the role of artists and movement and help
make topics more relevant to their own experience. Art movements like modern art are often
difficult for students to grasp. When they are asked to assume the role of a painting itself, they
are also asked to reevaluate their opinion and perception of the work.
A crucial characteristic of proficient readers is to be strategic. In my AP Art History class
in high school, we had a reading packet that counted as a homework grade with vocabulary and
questions to fill out as we read each chapter. The practice of answering questions helps to
develop a strategy when reading. Text dependent questions help the reader to dissect text in a
useful way and help students decide what is important. When skilled readers have difficulty
comprehending what they are reading, they often become strategic in the way they approach
challenging and difficult text. That is to say, good readers have developed strategies that they use
to understand what they are reading (Vacca 22). Using text dependent questions to help guide
students in reading a body of literature about art can help them retain the important information.
In other content areas like English, graphic organizers are a way to develop ideas. Bubble maps
are used to branch off of a main ideas and expand a writing plan. In art, an artist's sketchbook is
their graphic organizer. The blank pages are where ideas are constructed before they come to life.
Artists can write down ideas, inspirations, and glue images on pages. Graphic organizers like
Venn Diagrams can also be used when studying artists. Compare contrast can be used with
techniques and artists, examining their differences and using the center for what they have in

common. The standard art history essay is a compare contrast essay so Venn Diagrams can
visually organize information.
In art history, historians analyze paintings to extract symbolism and meaning. The CERC model
can be helpful in art history. Have the students develop a claim about the artists purpose, provide
evidence, reasoning, and conclude it. For example, what was the artists purpose? Examining the
Renaissance piece Brunelleschis Dome, Claim: Brunelleschi created the Florence dome to cover
the Dome for the town of Florence and the Medici family. Evidence: The building was
uncovered because no one could build a successful dome that big. Reasoning: The Medici family
wanted the reputation of the biggest dome and took a risk with hiring Brunelleschi to cover the
dome because Florence was desperate for a roof. Conclusion: Brunelleschi was hired by the
Medici family to build a roof and the biggest dome that had never been done before because
Florence needed a roof.
Character Maps can be used in art to investigate and study an artist. In the case of Vincent Van
Gogh, students can sketch a quick portrait of the artist at the center to become familiar with their
portrait and put a face to their work. Then linking from that portrait, students can sketch an ear
and make a note that Van Gogh cut off his own ear to send it to his girlfriend. Another sketch
could be of one of the many letters that he wrote to his brother Leo who supported his career
because Van Gogh never sold a painting in his life. Sunflowers or another representation of one
of his paintings would remind students of his work. By doing this exercise, students become
familiar with an artists biography and get in touch with their mind and how they thought.
Understanding that Van Goghs Starry Night was painted out of the window of his room in an
insane asylum give students insight to Vincents inspiration and better comprehension of his
subject matter.

Literacy is a crucial skill in being a contributing member of society. Those who are left behind
and lack literacy have higher levels of unemployment and addiction. Reading through bodies of
literature is equally as important as teaching students how to read body language and acquire
proper social skills through listening and expressing themselves to assist them in the world.
Everyone in the world is reading each moment, whether it is a text message or a street sign. The
world is constantly learning from what they read, and it is our job as teachers in every disciple to
help students develop those skills.

Works Cited
Carger, Chris. Koss, Melanie. Getting to Know You: Using ABC Books to Develop
Vocabulary and Exchange Cultural Information with English Language Learners.. Illinois
Reading Council Journal Vol 42, No. 4. Academic Search Premier. Web. Oct 2014.
Willis, Judy. Research-based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning: Insights from a Neurologist
and Classroom Teacher. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development, 2006. Print.
Vacca, Richard T., and Jo Anne L. Vacca. "Literacy Matters." Pearson Custom Education
EDUC340: Literacy & The Learner. Boston: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2011. N. pag. Print.