Visual Literacy Bethany Worrell

EDLS 618Fall 2009

What is Visual Literacy?

The ability to recognize, understand, and produce ideas conveyed through visible

actions or images (as pictures).

Types of Visual LiteracyTraffic signsPicture booksDiagrams/ChartsStoryboardAdvertisementsDigital ImagesInternetTelevision

Facts about Visual LiteracyHumans process visuals 60,000 times faster

than text (Frey 7). Images are stored in our long-term memory,

whereas text is stored in short-term (Frey 11), making images easier to recall.

“Words are used to recall things we have already seen and experienced” (Frey 11).

65% of students are visual learners.

Visual Literacy in SchoolsBy the time a student has graduated

high school, they have logged an estimated 22,000 hours of television watching (Frey 7).

We receive more information visually than ever before. Students need to read text as well as words to convey meaning.

Using visuals in instruction engages students and keeps them interested in the material.

Visual Literacy in SchoolsUsing visuals along with text allows you to

teach to more learning styles and enhance learning .

As educators, we need to realize the visual world that are students are living in and prepare them for it.

Try this: Have students describe what they see in a picture book before reading the words. This will not only be fun, but help them to understand the relationship between pictures and words in a picture book.

Importance of Visual Literacy

ReferencesFrey, N., Fisher, D. (2008). Teaching Visual Literacy: Using

Comic Books, Graphic Novels, Anime, Cartoons and more to Develop Comprehension and Thinking Skills. Corwin Press.

Merriam-Webster Online. Retrieved January 3, 2010, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/visual+literacy

Stokes, S. (2001). Visual literacy in teaching and learning: A literature perspective. Retrieved January 3, 2010 from Electronic Journal for the Integration of Technology in Education, http://ejite.isu.edu/Volume1No1/Stokes.html.

The Visual Teaching Alliance. Retrieved January 3, 2010, from The Visual Teaching Alliance Website: http://www.visualteachingalliance.com/ABOUT/ABOUT.HTM.

Visual Literacy K-8. Retrieved January 3, 2010, http://k-8visual.info/