Picture This: Using Photography As a Learning Tool in Early Childhood Classrooms‪.‬

Pictures not only say a thousand words but also can help teach thousands of words, as well as many other skills, when they are used effectively in early childhood classrooms. Photographs, like book illustrations, allow children to see things that they may not have the opportunity to experience firsthand. Pictures can bring the ocean to children who may never travel to the coast, wild flowers that they may never see growing in their backyards, and animals they may only see if they are lucky enough to visit the zoo or travel to Africa. Typically, classroom photography is used to identify children's cubbies or to capture only special events in school. Rarely is it used as an everyday teaching tool. However, with the increasing affordability and availability of disposable and digital cameras, photography can be readily used in classrooms to facilitate learning. In one preschool classroom, cameras and photographs were used to enhance activities and create new learning experiences with young children. The initial goal was to use pictures to promote children's language and literacy skills. Indeed, the children helped the authors discover numerous ways to use pictures to develop vocabulary, stories, and retelling strategies. Furthermore, in introducing the camera to the children, important learning experiences beyond vocabulary emerged.