How Drawing in Conjunction with Writing Contributes to Literacy The drawing and writing process of drawing The process involves documenting layers of and writing in a series stimulates thought and using each layer as a children to make connections stepping-stone to another layer. between letters, words and visual SUMMARY Picture a delicate, smooth-skinned symbols. It sparks their interest in red onion whose aroma gets more Long before they learn to acquiring the skills to communicate read and write, children pungent as you peel away each their ideas through images and words. often express themselves circular, slippery layer. The goal of through the simple draw- the process is to create a need for ings they create. A veteran The drawing and writing series is a art teacher explains how way of working and a way of thinking. learners to discover and unlock what this basic creative outlet, if It encourages the learner to think in at is unique about them, their personal it is nurtured, can be least two modes, each expanding and voice — what they want to say in a instrumental in helping form that is understandable to others. youngsters develop — clarifying the thinking of the other. and improve — their Picasso declared: “All of my paintings reading, writing and For many students, the arts are their are researches ... there is a logical speaking skills. primary way of knowing and commu- sequence in all this research.” Picasso, nicating. According to Howard in fact, executed approximately 45 Gardner (1993), a factor in creativity sketches in preparation for Guernica.3 Joan Lipson Davidson has taught students at all grade levels for is to build on the learner’s interest — more than 35 years. She is presi- a predilection to working in a particu- The drawing and writing series dent of the New York City Art 1 process stimulates an engagement in Teachers Association / UFT and is lar domain. In this process, the a member of the NYSUT domain of image-making is augment- both visual literacy and the specific Committee on the Visual and ed by writing. Literacy learners differ topics related to early literacy out- Performing Arts. She is a past lined by the New York State president of the New York State in many ways, including cultural Art Teachers Association and a background, neurophysiology, materi- Standards for English Language Arts recipient of its Art Educator of the al resources, experience with lan- for pre-K through grade 5. Based on Year award. Although retired, she continues to develop curriculum guage, and developmental level.2 real-world experiences, sounds, and present. Her award-winning Educators must tailor their teaching shapes, words, meaning, interaction paintings have been exhibited in with peers and adults, literature and one-woman and group shows strategies to meet the diverse needs of throughout the country. literacy learners. media, students will achieve the E DUCATOR’ S V OICE n V OLUME 1 n PAGE 36 by Joan L. Davidson METHODOLOGY United Federation of Teachers New York City Do you think your artwork helped with your writing? “For me writing didn’t help my drawing, but drawing helped my writing.” following standards, which align with 3. ELA Standard: Language for Carisse, Grade 3 the ELA standards: Critical Analysis and Evaluation. 1. ELA Standard: Language for In the process of drawing and writ- Did writing Information and Understanding. ing, students reflect on and respond help you with to the work of their peers. In present- Students will collect data, facts and your artwork? ing their work to the class or to indi- ideas; discover relationships, con- vidual groups, students will expand “Yes. If you write something, cepts and generalization by creating a their speaking and listening skills and you know what the picture drawing and writing about the draw- should be about and you vocabulary. ing, then reading their writing and know what details to add.” drawing from their writing. They will 4. ELA Standard: Language for Madalyn, Grade 3 create a series of work by repeating Social Interaction the process. (Adult help in writing Through interactive dialogue, stu- may be necessary, depending on a dents will relate information in their child’s age and ability.) The drawing drawing and writing to other events, and writing generated will be based increasing their awareness of possible on the meanings children construct content for their work. Students will while engaged in a process that sup- gain empathy for and connectedness ports their imagination. with others by viewing their artwork 2. ELA Standard: Language for and listening to other points of view. Literary Response and Expression. The process engages children in drawing and writing for real-life rea- In the process of drawing and writ- sons — to communicate something ing, students will gain experience in they want to say. developing a story by writing about characters in their drawing, the set- Gardner notes that “If, in early life, ting and will develop plot ideas based children have the opportunity to dis- on what is happening in their picture. cover much about their world and to do so in a comfortable, exploring way, continued on following page E DUCATOR’ S V OICE n V OLUME 1 n PAGE 37 How Drawing in Conjunction with Writing Contributes to Literacy The use of the they will accumulate an invaluable Working with Carisse and Alex “capital of creativity, on which they drawing and The drawing and writing series can draw in later life. If, on the other process is illustrated by the works of writing series hand, children are restrained from eight-year-old Carisse and Alex, a process is such discovering activities, pushed in pre-schooler age 4 years and 7 only one direction, or burdened with months. The series by Carisse was appropriate as the view that there is only one correct collected when I worked with third- soon as the answer or that correct answers must graders in a New York City public be meted out only by those in author- school, PS 31 in the South Bronx.5 youngster can ity, then the chances that they will I worked intensively with 14 children, ever cast out on their own are signifi- beginning with their entire third- use words to 4 cantly reduced.” grade class. All but one of the students talk about his who showed an interest in continuing For pre-school children, the art and their drawing and writing series were or her image. writing process supports their visual not the academic stars of the class. imagery and gives them an idea how They enjoyed making images — that writing connects with their images. was their way of communicating. Expression pre-language takes the Their teacher wondered how the form of sound, movement and writing skills of these students had so drawing, if given crayons, pencils improved, and I explained that the or other writing instruments. classroom curriculum needed to pro- Both Viktor Lowenfeld and Rudolf vide these image-makers with an Arnheim explored in depth the devel- opportunity to use drawing as a way opment of graphic characteristics in to make sense of the ideas and facts children’s drawing. For these young they were presented. artists, content is often constructed Carisse, Grade 3 during or after the shape is drawn. Over a week’s time, a series of Carisse’s drawing had a positive effect drawings could have similar — or on her writing, and her writing different — content. The use of the helped her think more carefully about drawing and writing series process is her drawing. Growth was apparent in appropriate as soon as the youngster terms of her increased perception can use words to talk about his or her about her environment, her under- image, which may seem like scribbles standing of how to use the whole to a viewer who cannot “read” the paper to tell her story and her devel- picture. opment of graphic and writing tech- niques to communicate ideas. E DUCATOR’ S V OICE n V OLUME 1 n PAGE 38 In her first drawing, she includes herself METHODOLOGY and her mom, differentiated only by the fact that her mom is holding a shopping Carisse’s Drawings and Writings bag. Face, dress, size and body parts are all drawn the same. The bag her mom Writing #1 carries symbolizes she is going shop- In my block I see drug dealers some- times. I like the rain a lot. Me and my ping. The dots for eyes and nose and brother are looking out the window. We upturned crescent line for a mouth see a little girl in the rain with an symbolize a face and show no expres- umbrella and another lady with a bag. sion. All forms are reduced to their bare Writing #2 minimum to tell a story. created in response to writing on first Drawing #1 Carisse created her second drawing drawing. after reading the story another student Writing #3 wrote about her work and after dis- My Block cussing her writing and drawing in a My block is a nice place to live. It’s not small group with me. The questions separate buildings. The private houses posed in the group were: (1) What else are small, but the top house has a lot of could be happening on the block? and space. A Lot of people live here. My friends live on the block. Their names (2) How could a story be developed are Richard and Jessica and they like to from the activities? In the second draw- play together. Sometimes we roller blade ing, Carisse has more figures and each or ride our bike.