Across the Curriculum: Including Art in Reading

1. Design a Super Hero T-shirt and create a Super Hero name.  Children can brainstorm a Super Hero name and design a t-shirt to match.  A pillow case or piece of fabric can be pinned to the shoulders of the shirt to create a cape.  Adults can take digital pictures of the children doing Super Hero poses, and post them on a bulletin board with Super Hero stories written by the children.

2. Encourage the children to create a new cover for a favorite book.  Create a display with the new covers. 

3. Have children make bookmarks that tell about a favorite book.  Include the title, author, and an illustration.  Share the bookmark with a friend.

4. Make a mural.  Post butcher-block paper on a wall in the site and have each child draw a detail about a favorite book (a special character, a favorite scene, a new vocabulary word, or a great author).  This is a great on-going activity.  Raffle off the mural at the end of school year.  Be sure to take a picture of it first, though!  Use your digital camera so that each child gets a “copy” of the mural to take home.

5. Draw a picture of a favorite character from a book.  Label the picture with information about the character. 

6. Draw a favorite scene from a book.  Include details that the author used when describing the scene. 

7. Don’t forget to use your Milwaukee Public Library.  The librarian at your local Milwaukee Public Library can help you select books that will engage children and keep them reading, find extra resources for projects you are working on, and can make visits to help promote reading during the school year and all summer long.