A Teacher's Story: Literacy Through The Arts

Good teachers are always looking for ways to teach effectively so all students feel included and nurtured. Lucy, a Year 1 teacher in Australia, says the arts can do just that.

Lucy joins literacy expert Sharon Callen to talk about the impact of the arts on literacy learning, and how the arts can be a springboard for the four key capabilities discussed by Robyn Ewing - curiosity, compassion, connection and courage. 

Lucy also talks about:

• How she developed her interest in the arts and how she integrates it with the curriculum
• How she uses the art form of literature to strengthen her teaching
• How teachers can make the arts more meaningfully integrated into their literacy teaching
• How the arts motivate and engage students in literacy (and other subjects)
• How art forms enhance deeper meaning and understanding
• How imaginative texts help students become more compassionate people
• How her personal experiences in the arts transform her teaching
• How to assess in different ways
• Improvements she has noticed in her students through use of literature/the arts

And much more!

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Find upcoming events here and previous webinars (online video courses) here.

Other matching PDF resources can be found at Teachific.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

TEACHIFIC 

• Action Rhymes to dramatise
• Poems to Dramatise K-2
• Plays for K-2

BOOKTOPIA

• Elma by David McKee
• Mrs Wishy Washy by Joy Cowley and Elizabeth Fuller
• The Wrong Stone by Russell Deal and Ray Bowler
• Sunday Chutney by Aaron Blaby
• Stanley Paste by Aaron Blaby
• Pearly Barley and Charlie Parsley by Aaron Blaby
• My Grandpa Marches on Anzac Day by Catriona Hoy and Benjamin Johnson
• Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox and Julie Vivas
• I Am a Robot by Jill Eggleton
• Grug books by Ted Prior
• Oh! The Places You’ll Go! By Dr Seuss
• Possum Magic by Mem Fox and Julie Vivas
• The Children Who Loved Books by Peter Carnavas
• Look! A Book by Libby Gleeson
• Thelma the Unicorn by Aaron Blaby
• Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
• Rabbit and Rooster’s Ride by Jill Eggleton
• My Country by Ezekiel Kwaymullina and Sally Morgan
• The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
• Do Your Ears Hang Low? By jenny Cooper (illustrator)
• We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury
• The School Drama Book: Drama, Literature and Literacy in the Creative Classroom, by Ewing, R. & Saunders, J. N. (2016).
  • The book is a resource for teachers who want to educate confidently with drama. It uses drama as a critical pedagogy, and encourages learning through activities, rather than teaching ‘about’ the texts. This approach has been shown to develop rich imaginations and creative capacities for the future.  It includes;
    • a summary of how drama and literature enhance literacy
    • An explanation of the School Drama approach and methodology
    • Exploration of the art and pedagogy of drama (via elements, devices, and roles)
    • 22 classroom units of work: each comprised of a series of workshops using drama with literary texts

DRAMA DEVICES USED BY LUCY

• Walking in Role - adopt a character and move about the room.
• Create a Scene - students are frozen in a scene (as people or objects)
• Sculpting Clay - one student molds the other into a character
• Hot Seat - you are a character, and interviewed by the class
• Meta Language - discuss the effect of the devices
• Completely re-enact a story

MUSIC DEVICES USED BY LUCY

• Do Your Ears Hang Low? By Jenny Cooper (illustrator)
• Quiet music used in writing (not reading)
• Forrest Gump theme:
• Play music with fingers on the carpet
• Schindler’s List theme

TEACHER TOOLS USED BY LUCY

• Curiosity chart
• Head, heart and hands writing
• Traffic Light system
• Big chart paper
• Drawing scrapbooks
• Focus on ‘You’re a writer’ from day one
• Told Stories - e.g. The Seed by Donna Jacob Sife
• Brian Cambourne’s Conditions For Learning
• Making sure these 4 things are operating in lessons:
  • Explicit teaching
  • Being systematic but flexible
  • Mindful - metalanguage
  • Contextualised

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The Teacher’s Tool Kit For Literacy is the free podcast for motivated teachers and school leaders who want the latest tips, tricks and tools to inspire their students and school community in literacy learning. 

Hear from literacy expert and founder of Cue Learning, Sharon Callen, and special guests.

At Cue Learning, our literacy specialists draw on over 30 years of teaching and international consulting experience to deliver world-class learning solutions. We equip, empower and support teachers to become their authentic selves. 

To find out about upcoming events, and about how Cue can help you and your school, visit the Cue Learning website http://www.cuelearning.com.au/ and sign up to our newsletter https://cuelearning.com.au/contact/

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