Signs of substance : an investigation regarding the confluence of art and language in an elementary school context

In this document two key points are presented to argue that a teacher with a visual arts background can make experiences with language arts more substantial in the elementary school classroom. The first point is that there are solid grounds for attention to the "object", or "concrete" qualities of language within elementary art and language instruction, and this leads to the second point, that elements of Conceptual art practice can inform our uses of language within elementary school. Written from the point of view of a reflective practitioner, a description of academic research and practical experiences support and illustrate the theoretical speculations put forth in the document. Strategies initiated by Conceptualist artists are utilized to foster a rich learning environment in which language and visual art function as complementary modes of expression