Teaching Literacy through the Arts

Accessible and hands-on yet grounded in research, this book addresses the "whats," "whys," and "how-tos" of integrating literacy instruction and the arts in grades K-8. Even teachers without any arts background will gain the skills they need to bring music, drama, visual arts, and dance into their classrooms. Provided are a wealth of specific resources and activities that other teachers have successfully used to build students' oral language, concepts of print, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and writing, while also promoting creativity and self-expression. Special features include reproducible worksheets and checklists for developing, evaluating, and implementing arts-related lesson plans.

1. The Five W's of Integrated Arts2. The Role of Music in Literacy Achievement3. The Role of Visual Art in Literacy Achievement4. The Role of Drama in Literacy Achievement5. The Role of Dance and Movement in Literacy Achievement6. Putting It All TogetherResourcesAppendix A. Stormy Weather: Leading Purposeful Curriculum Integration with and through the ArtsAppendix B. Movin' Along: The Poetry of TransportationAppendix C. Expressive Literacy within Musical Listening: The Moldau, a Symphonic Poem by SmetanaAppendix D. Haiku: Active Learning with and through the ArtsAppendix E. American Panoramas: A Literature-Based Integrated Arts Curriculum UnitAppendix F. Jazz Listening Activities: Children's Literature and Authentic Music Samples

Nan L. McDonald, EdD, is Associate Professor of Music Education at San Diego State University School of Music and Dance and also teaches integrated arts to teachers and students in K-12 classrooms. She is the author of numerous articles in music, arts, and literacy journals as well as a program author for the Scott Foresman/Silver Burdett Music K-8 music text series Making Music. Dr. McDonald is the Director of Integrated Arts for the City Heights Educational Collaborative and is the recipient of the 2000 Outstanding University Music Educator Award from the California Association for Music Education and the 2003 Outstanding Faculty Award from San Diego State University College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts. Douglas Fisher, PhD, a former English teacher and language development specialist, is Professor of Language and Literacy Education at San Diego State University and the Director of Professional Development for the City Heights Educational Collaborative. He is the recipient of an International Reading Association Celebrate Literacy Award as well as a Christa McAuliffe award for excellence in teacher education. He has published numerous articles and books on reading and literacy, integrated arts, differentiated instruction, and curriculum design.