As reasons to promote the inclusion of graphic novels in the curriculum expand, many teachers have yet to incorporate graphic novels into their teaching repertoire. In this article, two teacher educators describe a systematic approach that they use to teach preservice teachers how to read graphic novels, focusing on specific strategies in three…

In picture books, illustrations often play a critical role in helping authors tell stories. Instruction in the elements of composition including visual, textual, and peritextual features enhances meaning for children when they are given the opportunity to become authors of their own picturebooks. This study was conducted in a fourth grade…

The literary element of character is critical to literary meaning-making, and in picturebooks images provide information important to understanding characters. This manuscript shares results of an investigation that explored the kinds of pictorial information young children use to gain insights into the characters and provide practical ways…

Since students are continually influenced by the visual culture surrounding them, content teachers should take steps to capitalize on the potential of instructional and communication technologies (ICT) to enhance their effectiveness. The article discusses the importance of integrating visual literacy and identifies the teaching environment needed…

Picturebooks tell stories in both words and pictures. Interacting with the printed word, the technical elements of illustration--color, line, shape and composition--work to establish and enhance the story. Sometimes simply by adding description of characters and setting, and, at times, by challenging the veracity of the text with ironic or…

Teachers can use comics for reading instruction by capitalizing on their colorful graphic representation. Technology and reading are wed during the use of the Internet, and readers must rely on their visual literacy skills--a group of vision competencies people can hone for comprehension. This article reports on strategies for developing visual…

Traditional literacy practices and educational policymakers define reading as a process of vocabulary recognition and print-based decoding. This perspective is especially prevalent in the primary-grade literacy classroom. Yet, a growing movement sees literacy encompassing not only printed text, but a wide range of cultural, technological, and…

Defines visual literacy and considers a number of elements of wordless picture books that contribute to the development of visual literacy in students. (FL)

Explains a strategy called "What Do I 'S'ee? What Do I 'T'hink? What Do I 'W'onder?" (STW) which helps students look carefully at pictures in storybooks and think about a story's character, setting, and events. Notes that the STW strategy provides opportunities for students with varying reading abilities and diverse experiences to work together…

Examines how visual literacy (the ability to interpret the visual images of advertisements, illustrations, television, and other visual media) can promote creative and analytic thinking. Provides several instructional strategies to teach visual literacy through book illustrations. Notes that visual literacy is essential in a world increasingly…

Identifies the new literacies of the technological age: technological literacy; visual literacy; information literacy; and intertextuality. Explores a variety of tools available to teachers, such as: digital imaging technologies; World Wide Web based technologies; and global collaborative projects. Provides an example of a teacher who chose a…