Visual Literacy

Visual literacy refers to visual knowledge and the ability to decipher, understand, and criticize visual images and forms of all sorts. Visual literacy is one of many types of literacies necessary to learn about, use, and navigate the cultural forms that influence contemporary life. As discussed in this entry, visual literacy is developed beginning early in life both inside and outside school.

The creative forms, ideas, and practices connected to visual literacy are referred to as visual culture because these include not only the visual arts but also various types of visual symbols, charts, graphs, and all other means of visual communication. Most people growing up in postindustrial countries begin to see a wide range of visual culture at a very young age from a variety ...