Pam Meecham 'Visual Paths' was created to explore the teaching of literacy in the gallery. Visual Paths', made possible by generous funding from Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, has created an opportunity for the Institute of Education to establish a formal research partnership with the Tate Gallery. Through this partnership, teachers, researchers and gallery educators are working together to facilitate children's confidence and enjoyment in the use of words and the interpretation of visual images. This research project is a study of the gallery as a space for writing. It aims to understand how primary school children experience the gallery as an environment for writing.
Art galleries are a promising location for the teaching of literacy.
Art galleries are uniquely equipped to give children opportunities to learn from original works of art in a shared social setting. This research will be of interest to teachers and gallery educators who want to develop the full potential of the gallery as a setting for literacy education, by building on ways children experience works of art and writing in the gallery.