Four Simple Arts-Integrated Strategies to Promote Early Literacy

Feb 25, 2025

Arts integration is a valuable tool educators can implement to facilitate language and literacy goals in the classroom while boosting engagement. Simply, music, movement, storytelling, and puppetry help words leap off the page and encourage children to explore what those words mean.

For example, in “What Does That Say?” Wolf Trap Teaching Artist Morgan Sendek uses dramatic movement to interpret signs and symbols. Throughout the experience, she asks children to describe, compare, and contrast shapes by observing signs. As she takes children on an imaginary bike ride, she prompts them to observe their surroundings, describe what they see, and decode what that means.

To assess learning in this experience, educators can ask or observe, “Does the child understand that print [in this case, a sign] conveys meaning? Can they identify and express what is on the sign and what it means?” The goal is to build children’s vocabulary and encourage them to communicate and interpret words and symbols to demonstrate comprehension.

Below are several videos in which Wolf Trap Teaching Artists use movement and storytelling to promote language and literacy, among other competencies, such as math, science, and cognitive and motor development. Each video has a companion guide that gives educators ideas for extending the experience. Think about how you can adapt these into your lesson plans to further your class’s language development and learning (note: these strategies are also useful for families who wish to extend learning at home).:

“What Does That Say? Using Dramatic Movement to Interpret Signs and Symbols”

Wolf Trap Teaching Artist Morgan Sendek shares a drama and movement strategy that links language, literacy, cognitive, STEM, and motor skills. Together, we take a quick imaginary journey, investigating street signs, and observe, embody, compare, and contrast what we see.

Can be paired with:

“Be What We See! Interpreting Street Signs through Movement”

Wolf Trap Teaching Artist Morgan Sendek shares drama and movement strategies linking early literacy and STEM skills. Sendek guides children on an imaginary journey observing the street signs in their neighborhood, providing an opportunity for role play.

“Twisting and Turning: Dancing the Parts of a Plant”

Wolf Trap Teaching Artist Johanna Barbosa takes viewers through a STEM-focused arts-integrated experience that encourages children to observe and illustrate the shape and characteristics of plants through movement.

“Coffee Can Theater: Story Dramatization”

 Wolf Trap Teaching Artist Melissa Richardson demonstrates how to use coffee can theater to dramatize a story, teaching children to repeat and create dialogue, change voices to play a character, and recall and sequence a story.

Can be paired with:

“Coffee Can Theater: Tutorial”

Wolf Trap Teaching Artist Melissa Richardson demonstrates how to create a coffee can theater experience using manipulatives found around the house or classroom.

To learn more arts-based strategies for the early childhood classroom or at home learning, visit Wolf Trap’s digital resource library.

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