ABSTRACT
Art and aesthetic education naturally must extend outside the classroom, and the museum is a primary resource. The museum experiences illustrate how reading and writing are vital components of aesthetic education. Through the integrated curriculum, students encounter the visual, performing, and literary arts. In planning instruction, teachers must constantly select art forms which will be a source of comprehension instruction. In addition to using the arts as an aid to literacy, a second major strand must be included: aesthetic education must become a major component of curriculum and instruction. Aesthetic education, with a primary focus on art rather than reading and writing, will involve students and engage them in thinking processes parallel to those used in reading and writing. The integrated curriculum must also emphasize aesthetic education and the essential role of art for its own sake.
