CAAE Literacy Case Study by AOEU Design Team

Integrating Literacy and Visual Art Curriculum: A

Case Study

Literacy is a fundamental skill for success across all subjects in today's classrooms. This study demonstrates that integrating literacy into the art classroom enhances student achievement while fostering deeper engagement and motivation.

AUTHORS

Dr. Theresa Haugen

The Art of Education University

Dr. Heather Crockett

The Art of Education University

By embedding literacy strategies into art instruction, students developed strong analytical and communication skills, enabling them to interpret visual works with greater depth and articulate complex ideas more effectively. They also deepened their understanding of art and language through class discussions and reﬂection. Prioritizing literacy in the art classroom equips students with essential critical thinking skills that extend beyond reading and writing, supporting success across all areas of learning.

LITERACY and its EFFECTS on the ART EDUCATION LANDSCAPE

Literacy Deﬁnition and Integration

Literacy is using language to read, write, speak, listen, comprehend, and communicate. Goldman et al. (2016) deﬁne four literacy dimensions:

● text for its ability to extend knowledge

● text as a base for interrogation and argumentation

● critically exploring intent and message

● connecting content and form as a path for meaning

An art curriculum that naturally integrates literacy and encourages critical thinking provides multiple ways of expressing, interpreting, reﬂecting, and listening, which can build or strengthen a literacy path. Reﬂection bridges writing and art purposefully and meaningfully by making thinking more visible and amplifying the visual message (Ryan, 2014). Literacy through art intertwines skills and

Art’s visual nature makes it a powerful tool for literacy, fostering students’ ability to think critically, interpret images, and communicate ideas.

knowledge that intersect and connect in numerous ways through texts, images, and content.

Visual Literacy

Art’s visual nature makes it a powerful tool for literacy, fostering students' ability to think critically, interpret images, and communicate ideas. Visual literacy is the ability to interpret visual imagery and communicate ideas visually through critical thinking and decision-making (Vanderlip & Buchman, 2022, National Art Education Association). Children are naturally visually literate and learn to tell stories before they begin to read and write (McKee, 2019). Images can spark memories or create new narratives through imagination for communication, analyzing, constructing meaning, expressing, and enjoying aesthetically (Beatty, 2013: Pardieck, 2011). Using picture books encourages storytelling and critical thinking because the image reveals more of the story than the limited words in books designed for early readers (Becker, 2020; O’Neil, 2011). As children begin to read, visual literacy supports reading skills by decoding and interpreting images to provide clues as students encounter new words or add meaning to more complex stories and illustrations (O'Neil, 2011). Like text literacy in reading, analyzing, and understanding, visual literacy uses a constructivist approach to bridge the known to new knowledge and connect visual and verbal language skills, allowing learners to decode and interpret images more effectively (Pardieck, 2011). The skills gained through visual literacy create learning transfer across school subjects, which beneﬁts learners at the moment and builds over time and across multiple paths (Rupport, 2006). In addition to investigating objects and actions, learners can analyze moods and feelings.

Visual literacy promotes inclusion and equity by supporting English language learners (ELL) and students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Holloway (2012) discovered that visual literacy offers alternative paths to learning for struggling students, allowing ELL students the power to express what they cannot through the

A case study from The Bronx found that literacy integration across subjects led to 88% proﬁciency—40 points above city averages (Edutopia, 2019).

English language because visual images can break through grammatical barriers. More importantly, increasing literacy through visual art heightens students’ ability to construct their identities socially and ultimately shapes ideas meaningfully (Holloway, 2012). Furthermore, Cappello and Barton (2022) found that 4th–6th grade ELL students, analyzing 22 drawings within an arts-based curriculum, could interpret visual images demonstrating abilities that challenged the deﬁcit labels assigned to them through their ELL evaluations. Becker (2020) adds, “Visual-based experiences that capitalize on the strengths of children with language limitations, provide access to the curriculum, and promote equity for all learners” (p. 167). When schools offer multi-discipline avenues to learn, discuss, and comprehend, they address the diverse needs of students (Becker, 2020).

Students who practice visual literacy in the classroom develop 21st-century reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills (Cope & Kalantzis, 2009). One of the fundamental goals of visual literacy is to create learning that “supports growth, self-conﬁdence, and ﬂexibility to allow collaboration and negotiation with others who are different from themselves to forge common interests” (Cope & Kalantzis, 2009, p.174). Reading and language arts curriculums that include visual literacy will further enhance these skills.

Literacy Case Studies

Within existing case studies, literacy increases academic achievement at all grade levels. The impact of integrated literacy practices is notably recognized at an elementary school in New York. With 82% economically disadvantaged students, Concourse Village Elementary School in The Bronx, NY, incorporated literacy in all subject areas, including visual arts, and saw signiﬁcant gains, with 88% of students scoring proﬁcient or advanced in English language and mathematics; an impressive 40 points higher than city averages (Edutopia, 2019).

Demirezer and İlkörücü (2023) studied an experimental and control group of 180 seventh-grade students using

Web 2.0 tools with a cell and cell division science curriculum. The study showed an increase in literacy and academic achievement, visual literacy level, and spatial visualization skills (Demirezer & İlkörücü, 2023).

Hanci (2022) measured the visual literacy and academic achievement levels of 299 high school students, ﬁnding that students with very high achievement levels also exhibited signiﬁcantly higher visual literacy skills. According to Hanci, “Visual materials and activities prepared for students have a positive effect on students' learning, improving their learning and structuring them in their minds” (p. 621).

Griffin et al. (2017) linked literacy development to visual art through a Cindy Sherman-inspired photography project. Reflection writing on the photographic images revealed that students connected with topics and emotions (Griffin et al., 2017). The two participating teachers noted the importance of deconstructing imagery and using the visual arts language and design elements and principles.

Wiseman et al. (2016) studied 22 art students tasked with being “photo detectives” using critical thinking to analyze image scenes and discuss setting, tone, and mood through visual evidence. Students combined drawing and drama with their photography investigations, boosting comprehension and understanding and connecting context to their lives through reﬂection and critical thinking.

Within these studies, literacy has been shown to beneﬁt students through critical thinking, speech and language skills, comprehension, connection, improved writing, and academic achievement. Visual art offers natural opportunities to integrate literacy into learning. This study examines the potential impact of adding a literacy-based curriculum to the art classroom.

Guiding questions

How are student literacy skills affected by including a literacy-based curriculum in the art room?

GUIDING QUESTIONS

To more fully understand how a literacy-integrated art curriculum can impact students, the researchers used two guiding questions for this literacy case study:

How are student literacy skills affected when including a literacy-based curriculum in the art room?

How does a literacy-based visual art curriculum impact student achievement and classroom engagement?

CASE STUDY COLLABORATORS

How does a literacy-based visual art curriculum impact student achievement and classroom engagement?

Three school districts participated in this literacy case study. All are located in the southeast region of the United States. Participating schools included Guilford County School District in Greensboro, North Carolina, Memphis-Shelby School District in Memphis, Tennessee, and St. Johns County School District in St. Augustine, Florida. This group of school districts ranges from 51 schools to more than 200. Student diversity within each district also varies from a minority student population of 94% to 36%. However, all three districts are academically focused, with a current literacy goal and graduation rates above 80%.

How Participating Districts Compare

Guilford County School District, Greensboro, North Carolina

District Mission The mission of Guilford County School District is for students to graduate as responsible citizens

School districts in this case study:

Guilford County School District Greensboro, North Carolina

Memphis-Shelby School District Memphis, Tennessee

St. Johns County School District

St. Augustine, Florida

prepared to succeed in higher education or the career of their choice. The district has 126 schools consisting of 67 elementary schools, 22 middle schools, 26 high schools, and seven alternative schools, including 48 magnet/choice schools. The district offers 66 programs and two nationally recognized visual and performing arts high schools. The graduation rate is 91.5%.

Student Body Serving more than 68,000 PK–12 students, ethnic demographics include 0.3% American Indian, 7% Asian, 42% Black, 19% Hispanic, 5% Multi-Racial, <1% Paciﬁc Islander, and 26% White. One hundred and twenty different languages are spoken.

District Literacy Goal The District Literacy Group's mission is to meet the literacy needs of all students to (1) achieve educational excellence and (2) graduate students who are responsible citizens prepared to succeed in higher education or the career of their choice. The district's K–12 literacy goal is to provide high-quality literacy instruction and access to all students to maximize their potential in an equitable and inclusive learning environment. Students engage in grade-level content and meaningful tasks grounded in reading science.

Memphis-Shelby School District, Memphis, Tennessee

District Mission The mission of the Memphis-Shelby school district is to prepare all students for success in learning, leadership, and life. The vision for the district is to be the premier school district, attracting a diverse student population and effective teachers, leaders, and staff committed to excellence. The district contains more than 200 schools, including 96 elementary schools, 42 middle schools, and 41 high schools. The graduation rate increased to 83.4% in 2023.

Student Body Serving 106,100 students, Memphis-Shelby is Tennessee’s largest school district and in the nation's top 25 largest public education systems. Student demographics include 0.1% American Indian or Alaska Native, 1% Asian or Asian/Paciﬁc Islander, 72.2% Black, 17.6%

Hispanic/Latino, 5.9% White, and 3.2% of students are two or more races. Thirteen percent of students are English language learners, and more than 70 languages are spoken within the student population.

District Literacy Goal The Lireracy Commitment is a collaborative effort between schools, parents, and the community to ensure students' success and reading readiness. Memphis-Shelby County Schools strives to build a strong academic foundation, knowing that literacy is a key education component.

A Tennessee state law mandates that 3rd-grade students not proﬁcient at reading are not promoted to the next grade level. This district’s students are largely behind in literacy. This year, all grades and all subjects have been asked to incorporate literacy in their classrooms.

St. Johns County School District, St. Augustine, Florida

District Mission The mission of the St. Johns County School District is to inspire good character and a passion for lifelong learning in all students, creating educated and caring contributors to the world. The district vision states that all students will choose a learning path leading to a well-rounded graduate demonstrating good character and leadership. The district has 51 schools, including 18 Elementary Schools (K–5), nine Academies (K–8), seven Middle Schools (6–8), nine High Schools (9–12), one Technical College, two Alternative Schools (K–12), one Virtual School, three Charter Schools, and one Juvenile Justice Facility. The 2023 graduation rate was 94%.

Student Body Serving 52,449 students, the district student body includes 22,089 elementary students, 12,172 middle school/K–8 students, 16,685 high school students, 420 students in alternative schools, 231 students in charter schools, 366 students in virtual schools, two students in Dept of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and 484 students in pre-kindergarten/Head Start programs. Student demographics include 6.83% Asian, 6.51% Black or African-American, 8.24% Multiracial, 0.53% Native

American or Alaskan, 0.20% Native Hawaiian or Paciﬁc Islander, 78% White, and 14% Hispanic. The student body represents 114 different countries, speaking 79 different languages.

District Literacy Goal The district literacy goal is for all students entering 3rd grade to read at grade level.

METHODOLOGY

This study investigated how student literacy skills were affected when including a literacy-based curriculum in the art room. It measured the impact of a literacy-based art curriculum in an art classroom on academic achievement and student engagement. A literacy-based art curriculum is defined as an art curriculum that integrates literacy learning. The study began by surveying fine art administrators and identifying participating visual art teachers. Through surveys, curriculum integration, student observation, and pre- and post-assessments, this study sought to determine if student literacy skills were affected by including a literacy-based curriculum in the art room. Literacy curriculum and support materials were provided to participating visual art teachers in the three districts. A mixed-methods approach was used to measure the impact of a literacy-based art curriculum in the art classroom. This methodology allowed assessment data to partner with reflections and observations from art teachers and fine art administrators, offering a more complete literacy narrative.

Training and Instructional Literacy Materials

The literacy curriculum developed by The Art of Education University was chosen for this case study because it had three vital components for visual art teachers interested in integrating literacy learning: visual literacy PRO Packs for professional development before implementing the literacy curriculum, FLEX Curriculum that centers on literacy by grade level, and a Visual Literacy Guide for curriculum support and connection.

Literacy-based art curriculum used in this study:

Visual literacy PRO Packs (teacher professional development)

FLEX Curriculum (literacy-based art instruction materials)

Visual Literacy Guide (curriculum support and connection)

Literacy-focused Professional Development

A PRO Pack series, a collection of on-demand professional development videos, provided visual literacy professional development. The video series provided professional training opportunities for all participating teachers to ensure instructional strategies engaged literacy similarly for all participants. Participating teachers could choose an introductory or advanced visual literacy series to match their literacy experience best. All participating teachers chose the introductory literacy professional learning video series.

Literacy Curriculum for the Art Classroom

FLEX Curriculum from The Art of Education University provided literacy curricula for all participating classrooms. This curriculum was chosen because it follows a logical scope and sequence by grade level, aligns with national standards, and contains necessary instructional materials, lesson plans, assessments, videos, and examples. Providing FLEX Curriculum allowed participants access to classroom-ready learning materials.

Literacy Curriculum Support Guide

Participating art teachers received a curriculum literacy guide. This guide was created by the curriculum development team at The Art of Education University in collaboration with librarians and a subject matter expert who offered book recommendations that support and connect to the FLEX lessons. The guide includes resources to help teachers guide students in making connections between how students learn to read text and images.

Participants

Initially, three ﬁne art administrators and eight visual art teachers began this study, but many visual art teachers left the study early due to illness, injury, or time constraints. Three ﬁne arts administrators and three visual art teachers, one from each district, participated in the entire study. Each participating visual art teacher chose one classroom, totaling more than 60 students represented in the data.

Participants Include:

3 ﬁne arts administrators

3 visual art teachers

60+ students

The visual art teachers included two elementary and one high school teacher. Forty students were included in the elementary data collection.

Timeline

This study took place over four months, from August to November 2024. In August, fine art administrators took an initial survey and identified participating visual art teachers. In September, visual art teachers watched a literacy-focused PRO Pack of professional development videos, completed an initial survey, began a weekly student engagement observation form, and gave students a pre-literacy assessment. Visual art teachers completed and submitted a mid-progress survey at the study midpoint in early October. As the study concluded in November, visual art teachers gave students a post-assessment, completed a final survey, and submitted the weekly collected observation data.

Data Collecting and Procedures

The study began with an administrator survey that gathered district literacy goals and challenges and the effect literacy in art classes might have on these challenges. This survey contained quantitative logistic or multiple-choice questions and qualitative open-ended questions. Administrators also secured participating visual art teachers from each level (elementary, middle school, and high school) and forwarded the participant’s names and emails. Visual art teachers chose one classroom to study.

In September, the participating visual art teachers received two PRO Pack series of professional development videos on literacy, a beginner and an advanced literacy series, then chose and completed one literacy PRO Pack. Art teachers then took an initial teacher survey asking

Participating visual art teachers chose and completed one literacy PRO Pack, Administrators completed one survey, and teachers completed three surveys. A literacy-focused FLEX Curriculum collection was integrated into the classroom learning. An observation form was completed. A pre- and post-assessment measured student achievement.

about classroom literacy goals, baselines, and challenges to begin the case study. All teacher surveys contained quantitative logistic or multiple-choice questions and qualitative open-ended questions. Surveys were conducted via Google Forms, although teachers could complete a copied Google Doc with survey questions. A pre-and post-assessment included in the FLEX Curriculum materials was used to measure student literacy skills. Students were given a literacy preassessment that assessed baseline reading, understanding, and writing skills at this time.

A literacy-focused FLEX Curriculum collection was integrated into the classroom learning during the four-month study. Observations were conducted weekly from mid-September through late November to note engagement, off-task behaviors, and challenges during literacy instruction. Halfway through the study, teachers completed a mid-survey to note progress and challenges.

A student post-assessment was given and scored at the end of the case study timeframe. A ﬁnal teacher survey was completed at the study's conclusion to measure literacy goal progress, student achievement, and engagement. All three surveys had a common core of questions for accurate comparison.

Two pre and post-assessments were administered: one for grades 3–5 and one for secondary grades 6–12. Both options offered identical pre-and ﬁnal assessment components to accurately measure student growth and achievement.

FINDINGS

Administrator Perceptions

A Fine Arts Administrator from each district completed a survey at the start of this study requesting responses to district literacy goals and challenges. Administrators view the visual literacy curriculum as a way to spark a child’s interest in literacy and enhance higher-level thinking skills,

Administrators see visual literacy as a key to strengthening literacy and critical thinking.

including analysis, interpretation, observation, narrative storytelling, developed vocabulary, and multimodal literacy. All three districts have a literacy goal for this year. Two districts had new literacy goals, speciﬁcally focusing on literacy levels at the 3rd-grade level when students start depending more on reading skills to learn.

Potential challenges stated in the pre-study survey in meeting literacy goals included time to incorporate literacy into art within a short art period, ﬁnding curricular and professional development resources for teachers, and reaching groups who have the lowest literacy growth within the district. One administrator noted that students needed a positive experience and should not feel punished for falling behind. It was noted that Administrators felt providing a literacy-based curriculum would be an effective and time-saving way to infuse literacy more holistically and would be helpful to teachers without adding more curriculum design/planning requirements.

Teacher Perceptions

Before the study began, art educators identiﬁed key indicators of student learning in their initial survey responses. They stated their district and classroom literacy goals for the 2024-25 school year. Student participation, frequent use of art vocabulary, and the ability to analyze meaning and messages in artwork were also cited as signs of engagement and progress. They cited differentiated instruction and absenteeism as anticipated challenges, as well as challenging behavior and literacy barriers. At the case study midpoint, teachers reported they were progressing toward meeting both district and classroom literacy goals, rating an average of 3 overall out of 5.

At the study's conclusion, the visual art teachers felt they had made more progress in achieving their district goal, with most choosing a 4 out of 5.

Literacy gains occurred in both student achievement and engagement.

At the study's conclusion, the visual art teachers felt they had made more progress in meeting their district goal, with most choosing a 4 out of 5. Classroom goal ﬁnal progress was noted most often with a 3 out of 5 and a 4 out of 5. Literacy gains occurred in both student achievement and engagement.

The professional development opportunity gave the participating teachers the positive support needed to successfully integrate literacy within their visual art curriculum as noted in the ﬁnal survey through guidance and integration examples. At the case study's end, all visual art teachers indicated that the literacy-focused PRO Pack helped them integrate visual literacy more effectively into their classrooms. One participating visual art teacher stated, “The PRO Pack helped me teach visual literacy skills more explicitly than before, giving me the vocabulary and applied focus to leverage instruction.” Another added, “The PRO Pack provided multiple ways to start teaching how to critique art in a classroom. It is nice to have different perspectives and ways to get started.”

Student Achievement

Two elementary art teachers scored a pre- and post-assessment that measured student reading skills, understanding, and writing literacy skills to determine how a literacy-based curriculum might impact student achievement. Each pre- and post-assessment asked the same set of questions per category and was scored on a rubric ranging from 0–4, where one indicated emerging

Students performed an average of 1 assessment score higher in the post-assessment in all categories.

The most signiﬁcant increase was noted in reading, where students moved from an average pre-assessment score of 1 to a post-assessment score of 2.5.

skills, two indicated developing skills, three indicated accomplished skills, and four indicated exceptional skills.

Students performed an average of 1 point higher in the post-assessment in all categories. The most signiﬁcant increase was noted in reading, where students moved from an average pre-assessment score of 1 to a post-assessment score of 2.5. Participating teachers noted student gains in vocabulary and the ability to recognize basic visual elements, using terms such as foreground, middle ground, and background without prompting during conversations about characters and objects within the painting discussed. In understanding, students moved from an average pre-assessment score of 1 to a post-assessment score of 2. Writing proved the most difﬁcult, yet students still made academic progress, moving from a pre-assessment score of 1 to a post-assessment score of 1.5. Unsurprisingly, the student average did not jump to a score of 4 only a few months into the school year. No students scored an exceptional (4) in any of the pre-assessment areas. However, a few students scored a 4 in each category within the post-assessment rubrics.

The area showing the most growth during the literacy study was insightful critiques, with students offering opinions while citing supporting evidence and providing evidence for their inferences and claims. In one 4th-grade

“ One student on her pre-test stated, ‘the artist wanted to draw a castle,’ while on her post-test, she created an entire backstory of a prince or princess trapped in a castle for what the art may be illustrating, using supporting detail like shapes and colors to explain the story. ”

class, students enjoyed creating a story based on clues in the artwork and referring to characters by their position, referencing foreground, middle ground, and background. as illustrated by the following participant response: “One student on her pre-test stated ‘the artist wanted to draw a castle,’ while on her post-test, she created an entire backstory of a prince or princess trapped in a castle for what the art may be illustrating, using supporting detail like shapes and colors to explain the story.”

Challenges were connected to struggles due to lower reading levels, language barriers, and lower interest sometimes in writing activities. Also noted was the initial tendency to present circular reasoning addressed through instruction by differentiating detail with inference.

All teachers stated they are planning to integrate literacy for future instruction. One added scaffolding for unfamiliar terminology, another stated intent to incorporate literacy into every lesson, and one noted moments within the instruction where the pace will be intentionally reduced to practice literacy more meaningfully. While pre- and post-assessment scores demonstrated that learning was happening, a more profound discussion was noted through observation as an emerging area for continued growth.

Student Engagement

Visual art teacher survey responses and student observation data revealed that a literacy-based curriculum positively impacted student engagement. At the mid-survey, teachers noted engagement as the top challenge where they saw the most progress. One participant stated, “I always assumed students wanted to get to the artwork and skip discussions, but I saw the opposite. In particular, 4th-grade students loved sharing aloud and speculating what each art piece communicated. They enjoyed using language to describe, analyze, and predict. It was quite fun!” Another noted, “Students needed consistency in understanding what art education entails, and positive reinforcement encouraged students to stay engaged. As students became more involved in projects, students in all areas improved in

“ I always assumed students wanted to get to the artwork and skip discussions, but I saw the opposite. In particular, 4th-grade students loved sharing aloud and speculating what each art piece communicated. They enjoyed using language to describe, analyze, and predict. It was quite fun! ”

performance and engagement. Originally, engagement levels dropped as some students had trouble reading and struggled to stay engaged. With application consistency, student engagement rose and surpassed the initial level as they focused on speech and writing using visual literacy strategies. They are now vocalizing that they are proud of their growth and ability to discuss these concepts.” Engagement was also noted as a catalyst in improving challenging behaviors: “The lessons have helped to make behaviors easier to manage, as students are often engaged, which is a ﬁrst-level deterrent itself, and on top of that, students have much hands-on independent work, so this allows me to debrief and reset with students who are struggling.”

In the ﬁnal survey, 100% of the visual art teachers chose engagement as the most notably improved challenge area. One participant noted, “In general, my goal was to increase discussion of art in my classroom. By the end of this study, I noticed that students had more enthusiasm for discussing and interpreting art. The older the student, the more enthusiastic they were to use language and writing to discuss art.” Familiarity with the literacy curriculum and expectations allowed an initial dip in engagement to soar. One participant explained it this way: “At ﬁrst, when introduced to explicit visual literacy instruction, student engagement went down, and several students reported frustration and/or confusion with the new material. However, as students became more familiar with the material and grew in their ability to discourse in speech and writing about visual literacy, they became more engaged, surpassing their initial level. They are now vocalizing that they are proud of their growth and ability to discuss these concepts.”

DISCUSSION

Achievement

This study concluded that including a literacy-based curriculum in the art room positively impacts student

Student achievement in literacy overall was most notably in reading.

Higher student achievement in literacy also means gains in 21st-century reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

achievement, critical thinking, and engagement. Student achievement in literacy overall was most notably in reading. Improving literacy can help with literacy tasks in other disciplines through learner transfer (Rupport, 2006). Initial challenges with reading struggles sometimes occurred in writing activities due to lower reading levels, language barriers, and lower interest. Because this study followed only a few months of literacy-focused art curriculum integration, more extended integration might allow art teachers to work with struggling readers through visual literacy techniques, which proved successful in previous research showing student achievement gains for ELL and IEP students (Capello & Barton, 2022; Holloway, 2012).

Critical thinking

Higher student achievement in literacy also brought growth in critical thinking skills, as Cope and Kalantzis (2009) noted. Higher student achievement in literacy also means gains in 21st-century reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills (Cope & Kalantzis, 2009). Students were observed using critical thinking skills to decode and interpret the artworks, which parallels the O’Neil (2022) and Pardieck (2011) studies. In addition, participating visual art teachers noted how much the students enjoyed talking about art, particularly older students. Finally, the participating teachers noted student gain in vocabulary, recognition, and use of basic visual elements within the discussion.

Engagement

Additionally, infusing a literacy-based curriculum in the art room increases engagement. Rapport (2008) noted that investigating objects and actions can expand discussion to include mood and feelings. Surprises noted during a study can often be the most telling. The ﬁrst surprise in this study was how highly engaged and motivated the students were after some initial pushback. Students initially struggled when the literacy curriculum was ﬁrst introduced in this literacy study. However, when a participating art teacher noticed engagement, it was a

signiﬁcant swing from struggling students to excited interaction that deepened exploration and understanding (Pardieck, 2011; Rapport, 2008), and students asked to continue the art discussions and their investigations into the imagery even after the lesson concluded.

In considering additional support for literacy instruction in art, participating visual art teachers suggested professional development on teaching lessons and strategies, best practices for art literacy, more lessons aimed at literacy practice, and more time to integrate literacy components successfully would be the most helpful in achieving literacy gains through art. Additionally, helping teachers by providing quality resources allows them to potentially reduce literacy gaps for struggling students and note other challenges, such as absenteeism or student behaviors.

CONCLUSION

This initial case study is promising for districts seeking literacy growth. Art teachers are interested in literacy gains through visual art curriculum; however, resources and time were cited as challenges to achieve higher literacy growth. Through literacy-focused professional development and art curriculum, literacy gains can be accomplished. Evidence of growth was seen in academic achievement, particularly in reading, comprehension, writing, and critical thinking. Students demonstrated this growth by interpreting visual images, engaging in art discussions, and expressing ideas through writing, boosting motivation and engagement. When visual art teachers have access to the tools to integrate literacy, it adds another student achievement avenue, creating a multi-discipline approach to help students gain literacy skills. Further studies should include other regions within the United States and their impact on literacy gains for students with reading or language barriers.

REFERENCES

Beatty, N. A. (2013). Cognitive visual literacy: From theories and competencies to pedagogy. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 32(1), 33–42. https://doi.org/10.1086/669987

Becker, P. A. (2020). Teaching language and literacy through the visual arts: An interdisciplinary, literature-based approach. Teaching Exceptional Children, 52(3), 166–179. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059919894736

Benaﬁeld, C. (2007). From the President. California Reader, 50(3), 4.

Cappello, M., & Barton, R. (2022). “Draw a picture of something you learned:” A critical multimodal analysis of multilingual students' classroom drawings. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 18(1).

Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (2009). “Multiliteracies”: New literacies, new learning. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 4(3), 164–195. https://doi.org/10.1080/15544800903076044

Demirezer, Ö., & İlkörücü, Ş. (2023). The effects of Web 2.0 tools on seventh-grade students' academic achievement, visual literacy, and spatial visualization. Journal of Turkish Science Education, 20(4), 632–648. https://doi.org/10.36681/tused.2023.036

Edutopia. (2019, March 28). Art as text: Bridging literacy and the arts [Video]. https://www.edutopia.org/video/art-text-bridging-literacy-and-arts/

Goldman, S. R., Britt, M. A., Brown, W., Cribb, G., George, M., Greenleaf, C., Lee, C. D., Shanahan, C., & Project READI. (2016). Disciplinary literacies and learning to read for understanding: A conceptual framework for disciplinary literacy. Educational Psychologist, 51(2), 219–246. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2016.1168741

Grifﬁn, S. M., Rowsell, J., Winters, K., Vietgen, P., McLauchlan, D., & McQueen-Fuentes, G. (2017). A reason to respond: Finding agency through the arts. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 18(25).

Hanci, H. (2022). Investigation of high school students' visual literacy levels. International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 8(3), 611–625. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijres.2980

Holloway, S. M. (2012). Visual literacies: An ecology arts-based pedagogical model. Language and Literacy, 14(3), 150–168. https://doi.org/10.20360/G2R59F

McKee, J. (2019, December 12). Reading through the arts: How theater and visual arts can engage students in reading. The Kennedy Center.

https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/articles-and-how-tos/article s/educators/language-arts/reading-through-the-arts/

Metros, S. E. (2008). The educator’s role in preparing visually literate learners. Theory Into Practice, 47(2), 102–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405840801992264

National Art Education Association. (n.d.). NAEA position statement on visual literacy.

O'Neil, K. E. (2011). Reading pictures: Developing visual literacy for greater comprehension. The Reading Teacher, 65(3), 214–223. https://doi.org/10.1002/TRTR.01026

Pardieck, S. C. (2011). Visual literacy: Reading and analyzing e‐primary sources. Illinois Reading Council Journal, 40(1), 28–32.

Ruppert, S. S. (2006). Critical evidence: How the arts beneﬁt student achievement. National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. Ryan, M. (2014). Reﬂexivity and aesthetic inquiry: Building dialogues between the arts and literacy. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 13(2), 5–18.

Vanderlip Taylor, K., & Buchman, K. (2022). Communication is key: Collaborative collages and visual literacy in primary grades. Art Education, 75(2), 8–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00043125.2021.2009277