Illuminated Letters

As educators, we understand that getting to know our students is a vital part of teaching them. When students are invited to share details about their life, family, hobbies, dreams, developing identity, and culture, they feel seen, heard, and safe—the perfect milieu for the risk-taking necessary to learn and grow.

Visual Meaning
I take a multidisciplinary approach to art-teaching, bringing in core skills from studentsʼ classroom learning. I start by introducing graphic design and incorporating ELA, math, and social studies. This allows students to apply aspects of their name and identity to various projects.

My eight-year-old students enjoy learning about symbols and logos, which presents an exciting opportunity for them to connect words, ideas, and meanings. The essential skill of visual communication begins early on with an awareness of pictures that hold meaning—from simple symbols that stand for start or go to more sophisticated icons that, once recognized, open studentsʼ minds to a variety of concepts.

Visual meaning is everywhere, even in toys and learning tools like ABC blocks, puzzles, and monograms. The prevalence of symbols in modern technology has been a boon for visual literacy. I discuss all of this with students and more.

Connecting Art and Symbolism
The opportunity to curate a brief survey of art and artists while incorporating symbols, letters, or words into studentsʼ work via lesson books, slides, prints, and videos provides them with opportunities to make connections between art and other disciplines.
Second-graders delight in learning about ancient Egypt, so pairing hieroglyphs with the works of Jenny Holzer, Paul Klee, Robert Indiana, or Nari Ward helps to present the connection between artists and symbolism, transforming art into a personal commentary. I make sure to share examples that are culturally relevant to students from sources that are diverse in terms of geography, history, and ethnicity.

Starting-Place Symbols
Combining symbolism and evolving ELA benchmarks (letter formation, sentence structure, writing in paragraphs), students first identify and locate illuminated letters from the first pages of familiar storybooks and other sources, both historical and contemporary.

We continue to focus on the concept of starting places by discussing studentsʼ experience with bold type, comic book exclamations, board games, treasure maps, and the first words in fairy tales.

Researching Fonts
Students use the first letter of their name to develop their own autobiographical piece. This is the perfect time to share a brief history of typography, connecting studentsʼ use of word-processing and the menu of fonts they have used in their schoolwork. I love to hear studentsʼ responses to the question, “Which font feels most like you?”
We also look at fonts and formats used by artists and various companies. Students marvel at the free spirit of contemporary artist Shantell Martin and her amazing handwriting, along with other recognizable fonts like the ones used for Disney or Minecraft.

Individualized Letters
After plenty of research, students design their own letter based on a font of their choice, including patterns, colors, and symbols that represent aspects of their life. Students employ the elements of art—line, shape, and color—in drafting their letter and self-reflective icons and symbols. A discussion on the symbolism of colors can be helpful.

Extensions and Conclusion
Students positioned their letters in the upper-left corner of their papers, drew lines to write on, and composed five sentences describing themselves. I compiled these by class in spiral-bound books as gifts for their teachers.

Upper elementary grades could extend the drawn piece to create block-printed letters, an All About Me page with illuminated initial starting places, and an accordion-fold book with the letter on the cover and a written biography inside. A QR code could link to recordings of students reading their work.

We created opportunities for sharing and feedback through gallery walks, peer and self-assessments, and a library exhibit.