Rachel

Westphalen

TE 800, Introduction to Education Research

December 2, 2015

Title

Using Picture Books to Develop Cross-Curricular Connections

Abstract


Using picture books to teach is a practice that has been utilized for decades and
literacy has been a main focus in schools. Other subjects such as science and social studies
are limited in instruction time. This study is going to explore the benefits of using a picture
book to supplement a social studies curriculum. The quasi-experimental study will take
place over 3 quarters in a school year and will be done in two different periods of the day.
The students will have the same teacher, but one class wont have a picture book within
their instruction.
What are picture books? Picture books average 32 pages in length, with a picture
appearing on every page or on every two-page spread. A symbiosis exists between the
illustrations and the text. Just about any definition of a picture book includes the
requirement that, in a marriage of words and pictures, the two partners share the
responsibility of making the book work (Benedict & Carlisle, 1992).

Billman (2002) claims that intermediate and middle grade teachers rarely include

picture books in their teaching because it is too immature for their students. Educators
frequently perceive picture books, which are often marketed to young children, to be no
more than simple illustrations and shallow text (Billman, 2002, p.48). Billman goes on to
speak about how younger students dont have enough experience to understand many in

depth topics such as war and concentration camps. Using picture books to address such
complex issues and situations is appropriate when one realizes that the books are actually
written for a more mature audience (Billman, 2002, p.48).
I agree with Billman that intermediate and middle school teachers believe that
picture books are not mature enough for students. But how can teachers build literacy
while also connecting other subjects like math, science, social studies, art and music?
Picture books are easily integrated into many aspects of the curriculum, allowing the
students to make important connections among different subjects (Murphy, 2009, p. 21).
According to Ivey (2002) picture books deliver motivation to students but also allow the
teacher to differentiate instruction.

How many social studies classes read directly from textbooks and then answer

questions at the end? Reading word for word from a textbook can get repetitive. Pictures
and graphics in a textbook are not eye-catching, let alone exciting. Readers may more
easily identify with the characters in a book than they would with historic figures in a
textbook (Billman, 2002, p. 50). When you think about how an illustrator portrays the
characters and settings in a book, they really try to draw in the reader. By discussing a
variety of narrative and visual features, we bring forth readers implicit understandings of
visual images and narrative sequences and make them explicit so we can examine how they
serve the narrative and influence interpretations (Serafini, 2014, p. 25).
Costello and Kolodziej say They appeal to early adolescent students because of
their interesting artwork, accessible language, and brief text, which stimulate enjoyment.
Picture books, aside from enhancing the vocabulary of students, foster independent
reading and can promote diversity in the classroom (2006, p. 28). I think Costello and

Kolodziej say it perfectly; picture books can promote diversity in the classroom, but also
stimulate enjoyment. Creating connections in this study will show how using picture books
to enhance instruction will benefit students in the long run.


Method

Participants:
The participants were chosen from 54 fifth grade students in a Title I school. Their
ethnic backgrounds were 72% Caucasian, 10% African American, 8% Hispanic, 6% Other
and 2% Asian. The students also had a range of learning abilities (6% gifted and 25%
special education). 67% of students had access to free or reduced lunch. Students were
placed into classes at the beginning of the year and had the same teacher for instruction.
Instrumentation:

One class had picture books read to them during social studies to aid in their

instruction. The other class did not have picture books read to them during social studies.
Assessments were compared, as well as exit tickets (class closure at the end of the period),
for the group. The same teacher conducted assessments for each group.
Procedures:
During each class period, the experimental group had a picture book read out loud
by the teacher. The teacher led and guided the discussion with various prompts about the
book. This provoked connections to the curriculum. Exit tickets, a class closure activity
made up of 3-4 questions, were handed out near the end of each period.
Data analysis:

Data was collected in the first quarter of school and then be compared in the third
quarter of school. Each class was compared by their unit assessments and exit tickets. One
major thing was looked at and that was literacy. Did the students depth of knowledge grow
and how did this affect their grade?

Results

The desired results of the study will prove to be successful. The experimental group
will improve their assessment scores by half from quarter one to quarter three. The control
groups score will improve slightly, but not as much as the experimental group. Exit tickets
will also be compared. Desired results would be that the experimental group would
construct more meaningful responses than the control group.

Discussion

The study introduces a new way for students to learn and is a great way to connect
across curriculums. A threat to validity would definitely be the Hawthorne Effect. Other
potential threats were the tough subjects that get brought up when reading a particularly
moving subject such as war, September 11, racism, etc. Another would be that teachers are
not buying into supplementing with picture books. As it shows though, picture books can
increase literacy.

References

Benedict, S., & Carlisle, L., (Eds.). 1992. Beyond words: picture

books for older readers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Billman, L. (2002). Arent these books for little kids? Educational Leadership, 48-51.

Costello, B. & Kolodziej, N., (2006). A middle school teachers guide to selecting picture


books. Middle School Journal, 27-33.

Ivey, J. (2002). Getting started: Manageable literacy practices. Educational Leadership, 20-

23.

Massey, S. (2015). The multidimensionality of childrens picture books for upper grades.

English Journal, 104(5), 45-58.

Murphy, P. (2009). Using picture books to engage middle school students. Middle School

Journal, 20-24.

Serafini, F. (2014). Exploring wordless picture books. The Reading Teacher, 68 (1), 24-26.