Standard 7: Multimodal Literacy

Students will acquire, refine, and share knowledge through a variety of written, oral, visual, digital, non-verbal, and interactive texts. 

Student Actions 

Teacher Actions 

• Students will determine the intended effect in multimodal (combination of words, images, sound, color, animation, video, and styles of print) texts.
• Students will develop a new understanding of the multimodal text.

• Teachers model and provide opportunities for students to decide the intended effect in multimodal (combination of words, images, sound, color, animation, video, and styles of print) texts.
• Teachers model and provide opportunities for students to develop new understanding of multimodal text.
• Teachers monitor students additional comprehension of multimodal text.

Supporting Resources 

Teacher Insights 

Defining Multimodal Literacy by Dr. Craig Hill (video)

• A multimodal text combines two or more variations of communication through either linguistic, visual, audio, gestural, or spatial means.

• Examples of multimodal texts include picture books, web pages with audio or video, or a live performance of a play.

• Multimodal does not mean multimedia. Multimodal engage multiple modes of communication.

• Students should identify the effectiveness of techniques used in a text that create support and understanding for the reader.  

• Specifically, instead of just discussing how effective a text is in conveying an idea, there should be analysis of why it is effective and what specific techniques were used to create the effectiveness.

• For this standard, students should determine the purpose of the author’s use of specific words, images, and other inclusions of the text.

• Ultimately, students are providing analysis of the multimodal texts, but first, they should summarize without judgment.

• Students should practice evaluating the use of non-verbal elements that may affect the impact of the intended message.

• Many times, students glean meaning from messages based on non-verbal elements without even realizing it.  Messages delivered verbally are still considered text, as well as the non-verbal elements of the media such as graphics, images, color choices, music choices, etc.

• Analysis of all elements of media (including background images and text) should be taken into account.

• An interpretive question involves close reading and drawing conclusions based upon the reader’s interpretation of the information in the text.

• These are not answered with opinions; rather, they require the understanding of clues within the text.

• Example: What is the author’s purpose?

• Applied questions are predominantly opinion questions usually connected to the real world. These questions can be difficult to assess since there is not a right or wrong answer, but the students need to have textual support for their opinion.

• Examples: What impact does this text have in your life? How would this text be different if an audio component were added?

Due to recursive nature of the standards, it is essential that teachers are aware of how all objectives within and between strands work together for optimal instruction.