Art and Reading
Author(s): Jack Bookbinder
Source: Language Arts , SEPTEMBER 1975, Vol. 52, No. 6 (SEPTEMBER 1975), pp. 783-785,
796
Published by: National Council of Teachers of English
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41961113
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National Council of Teachers of English is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and
extend access to Language Arts
This content downloaded from
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, Art and Reading
Jack Bookbinder
Art is itself a means of communication. of expression should be kept in mind so that
Children draw and paint as early as they
we may better serve the needs of enriching
any one means (reading) by the use of the
speak. Experiences and learning situations
in the classroom, the home or elsewhereother related means ( the arts ) .
among pre-school children, day care cen-The teaching of art involves the use of
words as well as materials. In motivating,
ters, kindergarten and the primary grades,
stimulating, evaluating, and providing in-
indicate that graphic and plastic expression
formation regarding art elements, princi-
parallel verbal expression. Art experiences
among young children are often the very ples and concepts, the teacher speaks and
often writes on the chalk board, words,
core of expression, around which other
forms cluster and develop. phrases and sentences just as surely as does
The very development of the alphabet theis teacher of English. The content is dif-
ferent but the vehicle (the spoken and
based on picture writing. This is well docu-
mented by historians and everyone who written word) is the same:
teaches "lettering." Pictures were drawn on
In presenting any lesson, the art teacher
cave walls when primitive man had no al-
speaks, places key words on the board, chal-
phabet. Since the cave dwellers, two- and lenges the understanding of words by the
three-dimensional art continued to commu- children, has them speak and show their
nicate ideas for the tribe, the church, the comprehension through their own words. The
teacher explains words that are new, asks
state, the individual. For the "Dark Ages" children to find synonyms, thus helping in
in the western world, and for millions of their verbal expression and vocabulary expan-
sion.
people in underdeveloped countries and
Wherever possible, the teacher ties the symbol,
continents, down to our own day, illiteracy
the abstract word, to some tangible, pictorial
among the masses was redeemed only by illustration to make the word "stick." By see-
communication through art forms and it ing the new words written on the board, chil-
seems, therefore, that art, speech, writing dren see sound and sight reinforce each other.
So much for motivation.
and reading, have always been natural and In the course of subsequently producing the
closely related means of communicating. picture, let us say, the words are used again,
One can also conclude that in education together with new words, as discussion, and
individual help and general hints, observation
today the inter-relationship of these means
and evaluation are provided by the teacher.
All this verbal learning takes place in the
context of tangible experience ( drawing, paint-
Jack Bookbinder is a painter, lithographer, edu- ing, etc.), and the excitement of personal,
cator, and Director of Art Education in the satisfying activity.
Philadelphia Public Schools. Because sound and symbols (words) are rein-
forced by touch, feeling and kinesthetic ex-
783
This content downloaded from
14.139.203.20 on Tue, 08 Oct 2024 15:34:36 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
Author(s): Jack Bookbinder
Source: Language Arts , SEPTEMBER 1975, Vol. 52, No. 6 (SEPTEMBER 1975), pp. 783-785,
796
Published by: National Council of Teachers of English
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41961113
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide
range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and
facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact .
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at
https://about.jstor.org/terms
National Council of Teachers of English is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and
extend access to Language Arts
This content downloaded from
14.139.203.20 on Tue, 08 Oct 2024 15:34:36 UTC
, Art and Reading
Jack Bookbinder
Art is itself a means of communication. of expression should be kept in mind so that
Children draw and paint as early as they
we may better serve the needs of enriching
any one means (reading) by the use of the
speak. Experiences and learning situations
in the classroom, the home or elsewhereother related means ( the arts ) .
among pre-school children, day care cen-The teaching of art involves the use of
words as well as materials. In motivating,
ters, kindergarten and the primary grades,
stimulating, evaluating, and providing in-
indicate that graphic and plastic expression
formation regarding art elements, princi-
parallel verbal expression. Art experiences
among young children are often the very ples and concepts, the teacher speaks and
often writes on the chalk board, words,
core of expression, around which other
forms cluster and develop. phrases and sentences just as surely as does
The very development of the alphabet theis teacher of English. The content is dif-
ferent but the vehicle (the spoken and
based on picture writing. This is well docu-
mented by historians and everyone who written word) is the same:
teaches "lettering." Pictures were drawn on
In presenting any lesson, the art teacher
cave walls when primitive man had no al-
speaks, places key words on the board, chal-
phabet. Since the cave dwellers, two- and lenges the understanding of words by the
three-dimensional art continued to commu- children, has them speak and show their
nicate ideas for the tribe, the church, the comprehension through their own words. The
teacher explains words that are new, asks
state, the individual. For the "Dark Ages" children to find synonyms, thus helping in
in the western world, and for millions of their verbal expression and vocabulary expan-
sion.
people in underdeveloped countries and
Wherever possible, the teacher ties the symbol,
continents, down to our own day, illiteracy
the abstract word, to some tangible, pictorial
among the masses was redeemed only by illustration to make the word "stick." By see-
communication through art forms and it ing the new words written on the board, chil-
seems, therefore, that art, speech, writing dren see sound and sight reinforce each other.
So much for motivation.
and reading, have always been natural and In the course of subsequently producing the
closely related means of communicating. picture, let us say, the words are used again,
One can also conclude that in education together with new words, as discussion, and
individual help and general hints, observation
today the inter-relationship of these means
and evaluation are provided by the teacher.
All this verbal learning takes place in the
context of tangible experience ( drawing, paint-
Jack Bookbinder is a painter, lithographer, edu- ing, etc.), and the excitement of personal,
cator, and Director of Art Education in the satisfying activity.
Philadelphia Public Schools. Because sound and symbols (words) are rein-
forced by touch, feeling and kinesthetic ex-
783
This content downloaded from
14.139.203.20 on Tue, 08 Oct 2024 15:34:36 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
