The Art of Growing UP

10 Things Kids Learn When They Create - Part 4: Visual Literacy

In today's world, we're surrounded by images everywhere - from social media and advertising to games and movies. At Art Camp, I help students aged 9-15 develop the ability to "read" and understand these visual messages.

What exactly is visual literacy? It's the ability to interpret, evaluate, and create visual content. When your child learns to analyze the colors, composition, and symbolism in artwork, they're also building skills to understand the visual information they encounter every day.

At Art Camp, we practice visual literacy through fun, hands-on activities:

• Analyzing famous artworks to understand how they communicate ideas

• Creating our own visual messages using different techniques

• Learning how colors, shapes, and composition affect how we feel

• Discussing how advertising and media use visuals to communicate

I've seen students transform their understanding of the world around them when they develop these skills. They become more thoughtful about the images they consume and create, noticing details others miss.

These visual literacy skills extend far beyond art class - they help with understanding graphs in math, diagrams in science, and even recognizing the emotional cues in a friend's expression.

Art Camp starts June 2 and runs throughout the summer at the Crystal Beach Beach House. As the camp's teacher, I personally guide all activities, with support from my trusted interns who share my commitment to quality art education.

Contact me at crystalbeachhouseartcamp@gmail.com to reserve your child's spot in this visual adventure.

Stay tuned for the next post in our "Art of Growing Up" series!