Improve Visual Literacy Skills with Picture Books via Knowledge Quest

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Improve Visual Literacy Skills with Picture Books

Knowledge Quest: 10.21.2019 by Maureen Schlosser

Visual literacy is the ability to gather meaning from an image. It’s the practice of asking questions about what we see and why it matters. Giving learners opportunities to look closely at images will sharpen their critical thinking skills.

Picture books are the perfect medium for visual literacy exploration. Captivating illustrations on book covers, jackets, and endpapers are all worthy of examination. Readers will contemplate the context and wonder about what they see. Facilitating conversations around the artwork cultivates a deeper understanding for the story.

Take a look at the examples and ideas below to improve visual literacy skills with picture books.

Smile: How Young Charlie Chaplin Taught the World to Laugh (and Cry)

When we think of Charlie Chaplin, we imagine a silhouette of a skinny man with a top hat and cane. This mental image might have been the inspiration for Ed Young’s illustrations in Smile: How Young Charlie Chaplin Taught the World to Laugh (and Cry). We see outlines of figures, places, and objects throughout this intriguing story. These silhouettes will engage readers to make connections and ask questions.

Visual Literacy Lesson Idea

☑ View the double-page spread from the book Smile by Gary Golio and Ed Young. 

☑ Ask learners the following questions:

☑ What information can you gather about the story by looking at the silhouettes

☑ Why do you think the outline of the boy’s face takes up an entire page?

☑ What do you notice about the figure in the bottom-right corner of the page?

(Further exploration of the book will reveal that the little guy moves as you flip through the pages.)  READ MORE >>

See Also:  Lessons Inspired by Picture Books for Primary Grades