TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose In an effort to advance visual literacy (VL) education, the purpose of this paper is to develop and test a VL instruction program for 2.5-4-year-old children in a public library setting.Design/methodology/approach The study was designed as a series of VL workshops for young public library visitors. Each workshop collected information about children’s existing VL knowledge, introduced them to new visual concepts, and measured their engagement and comprehension of the newly acquired material. The study data were collected via questionnaires and observations.Findings Most of the children who participated in the study workshops showed a solid baseline knowledge of colors, lines, shapes and textures and were actively engaged in instruction. After the instruction, children generally showed an improved understanding of the newly introduced VL concepts and were able to answer questions related to the new concepts, recognize them in images, and apply them in art projects.Research limitations/implications The study relied on a relatively small sample of library visitors in an affluent neighborhood. The findings are influenced by variations in the topics and delivery methods of instruction. The study findings might not be generalizable beyond the US context.Practical implications The study methods and findings would be useful to VL educators who work with children.Social implications As information continues to proliferate in non-textual contexts, VL is becoming an increasingly important educational goal. The study advances a VL agenda and advocates for introducing VL early in life.Originality/value The authors are not aware of any other study that tested VL instruction on a group of very young children in a public library.
VL  - 74
IS  - 3
SN  - 0022-0418
DO  - 10.1108/JD-08-2017-0119
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-08-2017-0119
AU  - Lopatovska Irene
AU  - Carcamo Tiffany
AU  - Dease Nicholas
AU  - Jonas Elijah
AU  - Kot Simen
AU  - Pamperien Grace
AU  - Volpe Anthony
AU  - Yalcin Kurt
PY  - 2018
Y1  - 2018/01/01
TI  - Not just a pretty picture part two: testing a visual literacy program for young children
T2  - Journal of Documentation
PB  - Emerald Publishing Limited
SP  - 588
EP  - 607
Y2  - 2024/04/24
ER  -