I appreciate and love art but have noticed that my students have very little knowledge about famous paintings/artwork (much unlike their insane knowledge of cartoons, video games, and apps). So, it’s difficult to find things that they do not have prior knowledge of to use for inferences/predictions. I was browsing my photos of artwork that I took at the Art Institute of Chicago from when I lived there last year and thought that perhaps merging paintings and language therapy could yield interesting results!
I preface this material by saying that I have not yet used this with my students and therefore don’t know how it will turn out. (Isn’t therapy all about trying new and different ideas though?!?) So, I’d love your suggestions, reactions, and therapy stories… If I need to make adjustments to the document to make it more useable in your sessions, please let me know as I’ve only made the PDF available for this material.
I hope this is useful for you and that it is enjoyable and challenging for your students!
Download the PDF of the Artwork Inferences and Predictions document now!
Thanks for posting this awesome activity! So often our language impaired kids also have had so few experiences outside of school and home life. I love it when we can teach them about important things that don’t make it into the curriculum. It provides them with background knowledge that helps inform inferences and predictions in other contexts.
I couldn’t agree with you more! So far this activity has been challenging but well-received and they are learning about art as well! 🙂
I love this…..I’m planning on using it before the school year is out AND letting my Art Teacher friend use it with all her classes. Thanks so much, Cathleen Mitchell
I’m so glad you like it Cathleen! Let me know what your Art Teacher friend thinks 😉
I am LOVING this! I work in a very low SES school and our kiddos are not exposed to art/ nor do they seem to care. I plan on using this with my students and teach them about something they have never seen before! Maybe I can think of a way to compare/contrast this type of art from cartoons/graffiti? Any ideas on that???
Thank you for this!!
That’s part of the reason I went this route… I’m in a middle to low SES area but even my more privileged kiddos aren’t visiting our awesome Nelson-Atkins museum or the like and have very little knowledge and interest in art. I LOVE your idea about incorporating cartoons, graffiti, and other art forms… maybe I can add on to this resource when I have a little more time and add those elements. I know from living in various areas that graffiti can be art as well… and murals? I also love the idea of adding cartoons since that’s what kids seem to gravitate towards. Thanks!!! 🙂
Thanks for this activity! My school is an ArtsNow school wherein the Fine Arts are incorporated throughout the curriculum. You’ve given me another way to do just that with my older students who aren’t so much into the painting and mixed media creations. Once I get it printed, I’m going to share with our art teacher to expand it to other forms of art.