Art and literacy are two sides of the same coin. They both require creativity, imagination, and expression. When children are exposed to art, they learn to see the world in new ways. They develop their fine motor skills, their language skills, and their problem-solving skills. And when children are exposed to literacy, they learn to read, write, and communicate effectively. They develop their critical thinking skills, their vocabulary, and their knowledge of the world around them.
Art Across the Alphabet: Over 100 Art Experiences that Enrich Early Literacy
by Kelly Justus Campbell
5 out of 5
| Language | : | English |
| File size | : | 32691 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | : | Enabled |
| Screen Reader | : | Supported |
| Enhanced typesetting | : | Enabled |
| Print length | : | 245 pages |
| Lending | : | Enabled |
The following are 100+ art experiences that can be used to enrich early literacy. These experiences are designed to be fun and engaging, and they can be used with children of all ages.
Art Activities for Letter Recognition
- Sandpaper letters: Trace sandpaper letters with your finger or a pencil. This helps children learn the shape and sound of each letter.
- Playdough letters: Use playdough to form letters. This helps children develop their fine motor skills and their understanding of letter shapes.
- Magnetic letters: Play with magnetic letters on a refrigerator or other magnetic surface. This helps children learn to recognize letters and to spell words.
- Letter hunt: Hide letters around the room and have children find them. This helps children learn to recognize letters and to associate them with objects.
- Letter matching: Cut out letters from magazines or newspapers and have children match them to the corresponding letter on a worksheet.
Art Activities for Phonemic Awareness
- Rhyming games: Play rhyming games, such as "I Spy" or "Rhyme Time." This helps children develop their phonemic awareness, which is the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds in words.
- Alliteration activities: Read books or poems that use alliteration, and have children identify the rhyming words. This helps children develop their phonemic awareness and their understanding of language patterns.
- Sound discrimination activities: Play games that require children to discriminate between different sounds, such as "What's the Difference?" or "Sound Bingo." This helps children develop their phonemic awareness and their ability to hear the individual sounds in words.
- Sound blending activities: Have children blend together the sounds in words to form new words. This helps children develop their phonemic awareness and their ability to read words.
- Syllable segmentation activities: Have children break words down into their syllables. This helps children develop their phonemic awareness and their understanding of word structure.
Art Activities for Vocabulary Development
- Labeling: Have children label pictures or objects with their names. This helps children learn new words and to associate them with objects.
- Describing: Have children describe pictures or objects using adjectives and other descriptive words. This helps children develop their vocabulary and their ability to express themselves.
- Word walls: Create a word wall in your classroom or home that includes new words that children are learning. This helps children learn new words and to see them in context.
- Vocabulary games: Play vocabulary games, such as "Charades" or "Pictionary." This helps children learn new words and to have fun at the same time.
- Storytelling: Tell stories to children and encourage them to retell the stories in their own words. This helps children develop their vocabulary and their ability to communicate.
Art Activities for Comprehension
- Retelling stories: Have children retell stories that they have heard or read. This helps children develop their comprehension skills and their ability to remember information.
- Summarizing stories: Have children summarize stories that they have heard or read. This helps children develop their comprehension skills and their ability to identify the main idea of a story.
- Story mapping: Create a story map with children to help them understand the sequence of events in a story. This helps children develop their comprehension skills and their ability to visualize information.
- Storyboards: Have children create storyboards to represent the main events in a story. This helps children develop their comprehension skills and their ability to plan and sequence events.
- Character analysis: Have children analyze the characters in a story to understand their motivations and actions. This helps children develop their comprehension skills and their ability to think critically about literature.
Art Activities for Writing
- Journaling: Have children keep journals to write about their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This helps children develop their writing skills and their ability to express themselves.
- Poetry: Have children write poems about their favorite things or experiences. This helps children develop their writing skills and their creativity.
- Story writing: Have children write stories about their own experiences or about made-up characters. This helps children develop their writing skills and their imagination.
- Letter writing: Have children write letters to friends, family members, or pen pals. This helps children develop their writing skills and their ability to communicate with others.
- Playwriting: Have children write plays to perform for others. This helps children develop their writing skills and their ability to collaborate with others.
Art and literacy are essential components of early childhood education. By providing children with opportunities to experience art, we can help them develop their literacy skills and their overall cognitive development. The art experiences listed above are just a few of the many ways that you can use art to enrich early literacy.
