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, that 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 ELL learners. Mihai (2010), mentions that fairness is one reason why educators need to consider different accommodations and assessments for ELL learners. This means that giving the same assessments to native English speaking students does not ensure fairness and validity  to measure ELLs abilities.

The early years of learning is where key foundational literacy skills are built and will set students up for success later in their life. The key to ensure 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 ELL 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 (ELL) 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 ELL learners are still learning vocabulary. Being able to put words into meaning through visual representation makes important connections that will allow not only ELL 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 lifecycle 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 and 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 ELL 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)

Grade 1

 

Grade 2

 

Grade 3

 

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 ELL 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 it helps 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. 

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

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