Creative Literacy Strategies
What practical, researched instructional strategies can elementary educators implement to foster creativity, foundational literacy skills and value students’ linguistic and cultural identities?
As Gunderson (2009) highlights, elementary students struggle with reading and writing, is rarely due to their capability; rather it is due to the fact they do not receive the right amount and type of instruction they need. Building a large repertoire of instructional strategies helps educators ensure that each student is receiving the appropriate instruction they require. Along with instruction it is crucial for educators to have a clear understanding of effective accommodations to use with English language learners. Mihai (2010) mentions that fairness is one reason why educators need to consider different accommodations and assessments for English language learners. This means that giving the same assessments to native English speaking students does not ensure fairness and validity to measure English language learners' abilities.
The early years of learning are where key foundational literacy skills are built and will set students up for success later in their life. The key to ensuring literacy proficiency rests largely upon classroom teachers. “Exemplary teaching is responsive to children’s needs not regurgitation of a common script” (Reading Rockets, n.d.). Expert teaching is not only knowing which teaching strategy to use but also how to engage learners in their learning. (Allington & McGill-Franzen, 2000)
The Creative Practice
Building a literacy program by embedding creative tasks expands student understanding and innovative thinking- Maslyk (2020) calls this remaking literacy. Creating creative opportunities that support literacy learning also enhance engagement, problem solving and critical thinking.
Strategy #1: Visual Scaffolding
Visual Scaffolding according to Clark and Graves (2005) is an essential and vital way in order to foster comprehension. This strategy allows the teacher to slowly introduce information in parts to allow students to visually see not only what is expected but to develop a deeper understanding of the content. This type of support allows all learners to be successful in the task, which might have been too complex for them to complete individually otherwise. The gradual release of information allows students to slowly build an understanding, which according to Herrell and Jordan (2008) is how English language learners acquire language in a natural way.
The comic strip is an example where the teacher uses the visual scaffolding strategy to slowly model the expectations for the completed project. The comic strip is a creative way to allow students to use not only artistic skills but language as well to develop a comic strip based on their own interests. The comic strip starts to come to life by following easy steps that are modelled one at a time. The project is completed over several days to allow students time to process and practice each skill. This slower pace allows all learners, especially English language learners the time needed to process the information in a way that allows for greater comprehension. In the end, the complex task of creating a comic strip independently is a task that everyone can reach success due to the ability to provide accommodations like visual word banks.
The Comic Strip
(combining visual illustrations, dialogue bubbles & digital tools)
- ELL Scaffold (pairs visuals directly with text - breaking the story into pieces)
Reflection
In my own elementary classroom, I use comic strips as an excellent tool for not only building vocabulary but for engaging students with writing. Creating comics allows for the strengthening of visual-text connections for our English language learners. It is also a great way to introduce writing in a way that allows students to use their imagination and artistic abilities along with their writing skills to develop a meaningful comic strip. Two years ago a student joined us in October from the Philippines and was struggling with learning to write in English. The comic strip project allowed him to be successful as his artistic abilities to create a story using images and limited words was the exact confidence booster that he needed in order to thrive.
Key Takeaway
Using visual scaffolding in the comic strip assignment allowed all learners but especially English language learners the visual information to interpret what the assignment should look like. When you are learning a new language just relying on auditory instructions can lead to confusion as English language learners are still learning vocabulary. Being able to put words into meaning through visual representation makes important connections that will allow not only English language learners but all students to be more successful in whatever the task is.
Breaking assignments down into manageable parts and scaffolding expectations based on abilities allows students to tackle expectations. Not all learners learn in the same way and having multiple ways and consistent expectations allows students to reach these expectations and to reach greater success.
In the end, using visual scaffolding and the comic strip can be used in conjunction with many other subject areas. As a teacher I am consistently looking at ways that I can take multiple curriculum objectives and combine them. This is one of the advantages of being an elementary teacher and being able to teach across all the subject areas. I have used comics in both science and social studies as well. Students created an animal life cycle comic strip to showcase their understanding and learning as well what their animal needs to survive. In social studies, students used a comic strip in order to represent their learning about our province of Alberta.
Strategy #2: Word Maps
Word maps are an effective instructional strategy for students to build word recognition. Hayes & Flanigan (2014) state that word recognition is a crucial foundational skill in the primary grades. Having the reader be able to accurately and automatically recognize words influences one’s comprehension. A research study completed by McKeown et al. (2011) found that vocabulary known at age three can predict a child’s reading comprehension. Making classrooms a rich vocabulary environment, especially for our English language learners is vital in order for them to be successful with reading and comprehension.
A word map is a visual organizer where students build vocabulary by developing a definition, synonyms, antonyms and a picture for each word or concept (Reading Rockets, n.d.). This instructional strategy engages students in the process and can be very effective with classroom read-alouds and with word walls.
Word Maps
(Building vocabulary through the use of a graphic organizer for each word or concept)
- ELL Scaffold (provides visual learning, uses prior knowledge and makes word connections)
Reflection
Using word maps is an instructional tool that I use in my classroom across all subject areas. It allows my students to gain a better understanding of the content that we are learning cross curricular. Personally I find using a variety of mind map organizers helps engage my students as they make personal connections to each word and concept. By sharing their knowledge and understanding with the class we are able to quickly correct any misunderstanding or interpretations of a word. I love how active students are in the process and the ability to have them work on the word maps either individually, in small groups or as a whole class discussion. Word maps help build comprehension and allows my low readers and English language learners an opportunity to make important connections and relationships with words.
Key Takeaway
The use of word mapping engages students and has them actively involved in making important connections rather than simply memorizing a word and its definition. Creating a visual map allows each student to make personal and semantic connections, resulting in a richer understanding of the word or concept. This is another visual graphic tool that along with the comic strip allows learners to be engaged, use their creativity in order to grow and learn.
Mind Maps
Graphic organizers like mind maps are helpful for all learners in all subject areas as they help the learner make their own personal connection. According to Echevarria et al. (2014) mind maps are more effective than traditional word walls. Having students provide a definition, sentence, illustration and an association for each word builds a greater understanding. The ability to use the same tool in multiple subject areas provides a consistent approach for learning and understanding words.
Research Spotlight
The shift in education requires teaching with a student-centered, interdisciplinary, experiential and project-based learning approach. “The learning requires students being directly involved in a learning experience rather than their being recipients of ready-made content in the form of lectures” (Centre for Teaching Excellence, n.d., para.6). These theories fit strongly with what November mentioned is so important in student learning, as they can improve students motivation, problem-solving skills, teamwork and communication skills (Zhang & Ma, 2023)
Recommendation for Teachers
1. Immerse students in active comprehension activities (read- alouds/reader theatre).
2. Enhance vocabulary instruction (mapping, scaffolding).
3. Simplify the writing process (collaborative story building, use of prompts, chunking steps).
(Reading Rockets, n.d.)
Personal Experience
My experience as a literacy champion gave me a unique opportunity to visit other teachers' classrooms and see various literacy instruction techniques. This opportunity provided me with a drive to take some of the wonderful things that I saw and to adapt them into my own classroom. I believe it is important to continue to learn and grow as an educator in order to not only enhance one's own literacy instruction but to keep students engaged and learn in ways that conducive to their success.
Over the years I also learned how valuable collaborating and supporting colleagues are in order to continue to grow in one's profession. When I taught grade 3 over the last decade, we started a cohort of grade 3 teachers from all over the school division. The opportunity to learn and grow together was powerful and allowed us to implement different learning strategies that we might not have tried on our own.
Next Steps
1. Try a new strategy each term with your students. Looking at the needs and abilities of your group, choose a strategy that you think would enhance your students progress in a certain skill.
2. Find ways to incorporate multidisciplinary and inquiry projects into your lessons. Allowing students to be active participants and to make choices enhances not only the instruction but allows students to take ownership of their work.
3. Collaborate with other grade team teachers to build resources/creative lessons and to try different literacy strategies together.
References
Allington, R. L., & McGill-Franzen, A. (2000). Looking back, looking forward: A conversation about teaching reading in the 21st century. Reading Research Quarterly, 35(1), 136–153. https://doi.org/10.1598/RRQ.35.1.10
Centre for Teaching Excellence. (n.d.). Experiential learning. University of Waterloo. Retrieved October 27, 2025, from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/support/integrative-learning/experiential-learning
Clark, K. F., & Graves, M. F. (2005). Scaffolding students' comprehension of text. The Reading Teacher, 58(6), 570–580.
Echevarria, J., Vogt, M. E., & Short, D. J. (2014). Making content comprehensible for English learners: The SIOP model (4th ed.). Pearson.
Gunderson, L. (2009). ESL (ELL) literacy instruction: A guidebook to theory and practice (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203894217
Hayes, L., & Flanigan, K. (2014). Developing word recognition. The Guilford Press.
Herrell, A. L., & Jordan, M. (2008). Fifty strategies for teaching English language learners (3rd ed.). Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.
Maslyk, J. (2020). Remaking literacy: Innovative instructional strategies for maker learning, grades K–5. Solution Tree Press.
McKeown, M. G., Beck, I. L., & Blake, R. G. (2011). Effects of vocabulary instruction on measures of language processing: Comparing two approaches. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 26(4), 422–437.
Mihai, F. M. (2010). Assessing English language learners in the content areas: A research-into-practice guide for educators. University of Michigan Press. https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.8912915
Reading Rockets. (n.d.). Reading 101 for English language learners. WETA Public Broadcasting. https://www.readingrockets.org/helping-all- readers/english-language-learners/reading-101-ells
Reading Rockets. (n.d.). Word maps. https://www.readingrockets.org/classroom/classroom-strategies/word-maps
Zhang, L., & Ma, Y. (2023). A study of the impact of project-based learning on student learning effects: A meta-analysis study. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1202728. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1202728