The Power of Pictures: Creating Pathways to Literacy through Art, Grades K-6

by Beth Olshansky

In The Power of Pictures book and companion DVD, Beth Olshansky introduces teachers to her innovative art-based approach to literacy instruction. Widely practiced in classrooms across the country, the model has been proven by research to improve literacy achievement with a wide range of learners, especially those who struggle with verbal skills. At the heart of her approach is the Artists/Writers Workshop. Through study of quality picture books and hands-on art experiences, students learn to visualize, “paint pictures with words,” and ultimately create their own extraordinary artistic and literary work. The book and DVD explain how any teacher can successfully use this process to enable all students, particularly low performers, to make dramatic gains in both reading and writing.

Genres: Art

276 pages, Paperback

First published April 18, 2008

Reviews

[Deb]

I read this for the class "Picturing Writing". Beth Olshansky makes a very strong case, backed up by several studies, that student writing is improved when students start with their pictures instead of their words. Pictures are a universal communication tool; give a child a crayon and she will start drawing. Ask her to talk about her picture, and she will tell a story. Using the picture as the starting point, students will discover words they didn't know they had.

This is a very easy read, and she makes a lot of sense!