Visual art is used to support students’ understanding of a particular objective. When using this strategy, the students themselves should be the creators of the art, to the greatest extent possible. Perfection is not the aim; rather, reinforcing student understanding of the objective is the aim. Therefore, conversation about the objective and the way that the art is related to the objective should occur during art time. Finally, art instruction should be multisensory, including as many of the five senses as possible.
Visual art can be used for many types of objectives, primarily those that have a visual element to them, such as facial expressions, physical characteristics, etc. Visual art can also be useful in helping students create representations of their feelings.
Whole Group: This strategy is effective in whole-group settings. Materials management should be considered in advance when implementing visual art as a strategy in a whole group setting.
One-on-One: Visual art is often effective in a one-on-one setting where there is plenty of opportunity for conversation related to the objective.
