Children’s Images of Preschool The Power of Photography

University of Puerto Rico

Rio Piedras Campus

Faculty of Education

School of Family Ecology

ECDO 4136: Evaluation in the Early Childhood

April 2014

 Dra. Lirio Martínez Miranda

Professional Article

Children’s Images of Preschool

The Power of Photography

Rocío del Alba Estrada Berlingeri

845112704

Second Semester 2013-2014              

I.               Article Summary. (12 points)

Children’s Images of Preschool – The Power of Photography is an article based on the studies of Darlene DeMarie, PhD and Elizabeth A. Ethridge, EdD. These studies were conducted in the Muskingum College Center for Child Development in New Concord, Ohio with the purpose of acknowledging child’s daily routines through his very own eyes. DeMarie and Ethridge saw a lack of description of the child’s narration to their families about their day at the program. The authors viewed this situation as an opportunity; they decided to provide children with cameras and interview children about their photographs.

The study initiated by children having an interview with a familiar adult about preschool. One-week later teachers provided every children of the program with a camera and taught them how to use the camera; during that week every child photographed their days at preschool. Another week later the children were interviewed about their photographs.

The writers of the article, selected three children, who had varying verbal abilities to compare what the children said without the photographs to what they said when describing the photographs:

·      Christy a 4 years with 4 months old was one of these three children. During the first interview (without photographs), Christy only mentioned playing with one friend and with a toy school bus. Christy’s photographed provided a very different image of her preschool experience. Christy she labeled all but two photographs out of twelve. Her labeled pictures included herself, her nametag, the head teacher, the assistant teacher, a shelf with toys, the playhouse, and three friends whom she named. Christy’s interviews differ from one another, the first interview may reflect Christy as a child who didn’t interact with other children or that the teachers weren’t doing enough to help Christy become part of the preschool community. However, the second interview reflected the whole opposite the photographs made it clear that she interacted with many children.

·      Adam a five years old with eight months child, described preschool by telling something he usually did or relating a specific incident. Yet, through his photography, Adam could tell his family about his friends, teachers, and several things he did during the day. He labeled all but one of his pictures. Most of the photographs contained teachers and children, all of whom Adam could name. In addition, Adam photographed “making art”, and explained what they were doing. He also took photos of the aquarium, the teacher reading a book and a toy shelf. Adam’s first interview, lacks of description, which may be interpreted as if Adam was shy, insecure and didn’t engage in any activities. Notwithstanding Adam’s photographs present the exact opposite.

·      Sherri a three years old with six months, was a preschooler accustomed to telling others about her preschool days, and her parents often visited the classroom. However, Sherri’s photographs still presented more about her preschool experience. During her first interview (without photographs), Sherri showed that she could differentiate typical activities from a special event. During her second interview (with photographs) Sherri labeled all of her photographs, she not only took pictures of her classmates but she also described what they where doing. Sherri labeled her photographs, very descriptively. It was obvious that her verbal anilities were enhanced by the cues provided by the photographs.

As predicted, the photographs enhanced the children’s descriptions of their activities and provided a medium for families to view preschool through their child’s eye. The photographs provided insight into what the children found meaningful and interesting about preschool. The pictures allowed them to show what they valued. For example, their photographs and explanations highlighted the importance of friendship. This implies that peer interaction and interactive experiences are highly valued by these preschoolers.

            This project showed that children’s own photography enhances their communication about what the do at preschool. This outcome also provides an opportunity for families, in how much more they can learn from children about what goes on during preschool day when they look at photographs taken by their child and encourage him or her to talk about their image.

II.             Implications of the article’s content with the child’s physical, social, emotional, cognitive, linguistic and creative development. (12 points)

            Children’s Images of Preschool – The Power of Photography’ focus photograph as a resource to understanding child’s development in the social, emotional, cognitive, linguistic and creative areas. Yet, the uses of fine motor skills may also be observed in the process of this article’s activity.

            The purpose of this article’s study is acknowledging child’s daily routines through his very own eyes. Therefor, the conductors of the study first with the presence of a familiar adult of the child, they interviewed each children about their day at preschool, then they provided children with cameras, the teachers explained the cameras proper use and gave the children the opportunity to photograph what they enjoyed and/or found interesting. A week later the same familiar person with the conductors of the study interviewed the child with the photographs, it was evident that the description of their day was more rich and elaborated with pictures than without it.

            The study main focus was for children to enhance their day description with the help of photography. Through the process of both interviews (first without photographs; second with photographs) each child’s linguistic and cognitive development was put to the test. Children’s own photography enhances their communication (Darlene DeMarie, PhD and Elizabeth A. Ethridge, EdD, 2006). Asking children what they did during preschool, who they played with, why did they photographed certain people or objects creates an opportunity for teachers and families to observe each child’s linguistic and cognitive skills. On the other hand child’s response addressed directly to their social and emotional development. In the article Darlene DeMarie and Elizabeth A. Ethridge quoted a boy who took a picture a classmate and explaining the picture, he replied: “That’s one of my other best friends, and I like him so well and I love him, and it’s just fun to have him around whenever anything goes bad.”  Most of the children’s photographs were of people, rather than places or things. Their photographs and explanations highlighted the importance of friendship. This implies that peer interaction and interactive experiences are highly valued by preschoolers (Darlene DeMarie and Elizabeth A. Ethridge, 2006). Nonetheless, creative and physical development was present during the child’s activity to take pictures. Their camera handling was a direct form of observing child’s fine motor skills, and the photograph was an expression of their creative skills. Darlene DeMarie and Elizabeth A. Ethridge exposed that photographs provided insight into what children found meaningful and interesting about preschool. The pictures allowed them to show what they valued, in a new technologic way.

In conclusion, their management of the camera was linked to fine motor skills, what they took pictures was creative skills, how they answered to their interviews was linked to linguistic and cognitive development and what they answer in their interviews was linked to social and emotional development.

III.           Implications of the article’s content with the process of observation, documentation, interpretative and reflexive analysis of the child and the program as part of the appropriate assessment program. (15 points)

Children’s learning is enhanced through the use of documentation (Project Zero/Reggio Children 2001).  Documentation being the process of retrieving authentic evidence of what happens daily in the classroom, it includes: Physical Evidence; Analysis of the physical evidence; Sharing the evidence with children, colleagues, parents, family and community (Martínez, L., 2014)

Children’s Images of Preschool – The Power of Photography, features a new way of documentation. It presents documentation through children’s eyes. Providing the tools to children to photograph what they find interesting. It takes assessment to a whole new level, providing the child to express through photographs, what they observe and believe to be valuable. After photographing children follow the assessment process with the help of a family member or teacher to describe the photograph and give life to their picture, making the documentation process complete. Children may also do interpretative and reflexive analysis to why they photographed certain objects, events or people. Darlene DeMarie and Elizabeth A. Ethridge exposed that in their study children whose verbal skills were less developed, explaining why they had taken each picture proved more difficult. Opportunities like these; teachers and families can take for providing children with tools to acquire the linguistic and cognitive skills to explain why.

On the other hand, teachers may also use the photographs as their resource for their own documentation. Providing the respective description or the child’s description. In the Extensions That Enhance Literacy section the authors exemplifies my previous statement. They suggest to teachers: Include children’s photographs and comments in portfolios as evidence of growth in language and in the connection between speaking, listening, and writing. The photographs can also document other areas of development including social and emotional growth.

The article’s activity is a great idea for child’s assessment and a perfect opportunity for a child collaborative assessment with the families.

IV.          Implications of the article with the functions of the educator or teacher of the early childhood with the appropriate assessment process. (10 points)

Wortham (2012) defines assessment as a comprehensive plan of nature that provides information about all of the development areas in the childhood: physical, socio-emotional, linguistic, cognitive and creative. The appropriate assessment is based on six acts, to complete an appropriate assessment process: Recognize child’s needs, strengths and talents; Describe in an authentic way what the child does; Document by including representative works; Present photographs, audio and video recordings; Evidence by using diverse tools and make descriptive notes in the evidence; and Analyze, interpret and reflect about the information (Martínez, L. 2014)

The article Children’s Images of Preschool – The Power of Photography provides a list of how an educator or teacher can use the article’s idea of photography for integrating an appropriate assessment process. DeMarie and Elizabeth A. Ethridge labeled this list as Extensions That Enhance Literacy, and it consists of these four bullets:

·      Write or type the children’s dictated comments about the photographs on labeled and help the class assemble books to place in the library area and to take home to share with their families. Include children’s writing and drawings.

·      Include children’s photographs and comments in portfolios as evidence of growth in language and in the connection between speaking, listening, and writing. The photographs can also document other areas of development including social and emotional growth.

·      Photograph the center/school and make “About Our School” books. Put copies in the office and libraries to chow families who are thinking about enrolling children in the program or school.

·      Pack cameras when taking field trips. Assemble a book on each trip to use in the classroom. Create other books to give as thank-you gifts to the sites that the children visit.

The list provides an explicit outlook to the appropriate assessment process by accomplishing through the sections notes the following appropriate practices: Describe in an authentic way what the child does; Document by including representative works; Present photographs; Evidence by using diverse tools and make descriptive notes in the evidence; and Analyze, interpret and reflect about the information.

V.            Conclusions and Educative Projections. (10 points)

Through the article, a reader who recognizes the process of assessment can relate this article directly to the process of documentation, a reciprocal documentation, and truly making children part of the assessment. Giving the children the tools to document their daily routines, a special activity or any moment where a close documentation may be of help for the assessment process. This project by of Darlene DeMarie and Elizabeth A. Ethridge, can be of use in children’s interview process, portfolios, displays, presentations, collages, and many more, remembering to give to them child’s rightful description. It may also be a great idea for incorporating parents to the assessment process, providing the families the opportunity to engage in the process of documentation.

I can’t talk about the future, before talking about the now. While reading the article and the discoveries, it was a recap of my “Investigación en Acción” due to the main idea of the article, which is through the child’s eyes document their day. Through my investigation, my child was very aware and very interested in the audio recorder; he even named it RCA, which was the brand of the recorded that were imprinted on it. Everyday since the first day I showed him the audio recorder, he asked about the recorder, so I decided in his game in the front yard to give him the recorder, but before I gave it to him I explained how important and fragile the recorder was. When I provided the recorder he was so delighted and express gratitude, he then ran with the audio recorder, showed it to everybody, explained the uses, and protected it from other children. It was a very interesting moment providing him with the video recorder; nevertheless the information obtained through his playtime was amazing. Through his game in the front yard it showed how much he can retain, and how much he knows. It was a resourceful activity, excellent for documentation and assessment. Therefor by my experience and the acquired knowledge of the article without a doubt I will surely be using this project’s discoveries and my own for my future assessment process. As well if I become an elementary English teacher, this might be a future project to do with my students. Photograph something, someone, events related to our unit and write or describe orally what you photographed and why you photographed it. It surely is an activity were you could involve the family and the community.

• References (5 points):

o   DeMarie D., & Ethridge E.A. (2006). Children's Images of Preschool The Power of Photography, Young Children, 101-104.

o   Martínez, L. (2014). Assessment del Desarrollo Educativo e Integral del Niño de Edad Temprana: infantes, maternales y preescolares [Power Point Presentation]. Retrieved from: http://blackboard.uprrp.edu/weba pps/portal/frameset.jsp

o   NAEYC (2005). Assessment Standards. Washington D.C: NAEYC

o   NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs. (Third Ed.). Washington D.C: NAEYC

o   Project Zero/Reggio Children. 2001. Making learning visible: Children as individual and group learners. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Graduate School of Education.

o   Wortham, S. C. (2012). Assessment in Early Childhood Education. (6th Ed.). Columbus, Ohio: Pearson/ Merrill - Prentice Hall.