Teaching Reading/Writing
Photo Journals
Practical Uses for Early Learners
I wrote a blog post for TeachWrite.org about a notebook that I called a “Flaneur Journal.” I used photographs to put a spark back into my writing habit. Then, I introduced the journal to students. I shared my journal with my first graders and some other age groups to try to spark their writing as well.
https://www.teachwrite.org/post/come-flaneur-with-me-by-sue-rounds
As time progressed, I wanted to find more practical uses for a photo journal.
We all know that first-graders can be particularly difficult when asked to brainstorm and expand their writing ideas. They don’t want to be embarrassed or stand out in a way that would provoke teasing or negative thoughts from their classmates. They also hesitate to write because it may not “look” right to them. This hesitation is totally understandable–imagine what these early learners are trying to do all at once:
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And don’t forget the dull or broken pencil, an illustration, and rereading. That’s a LOT of things to do all at once.
IMAGERY
Early learners are also just beginning to develop that mental imagery that teachers hope to instill during Language Arts instruction. Meaningful comprehension is enhanced by the ability to “create the movie in your head” or “visualize the content” while reading a book. Likewise, writing needs that imagery.
Visualizing a memory helps to recreate it on paper. Other types of writing flow more smoothly with that imagery as well.
PHOTOS
Photos are a good start to developing imagery in young writers. Looking at a photo helps someone recall an event. It’s one of the reasons we take photos–right? When a child looks at him/herself in a photo from a trip to the beach, it can evoke many memories–splashing in the waves, building a sandcastle, being knocked over by the waves…
And with today’s technology, taking and processing photos is so easy! Think about the number of photos that are on your phone right now–probably in the thousands. Many parents have hundreds of photos of their children in various situations–vacation, pumpkin picking, swimming, at the beach, playing, building… The list is endless.
FIRST GRADE JOURNALS
To recreate a useful Flaneur (photo) Journal with First Graders, I asked my students’ parents to choose photos of their children to send to school. The photos could be just about anything including participating in an activity (soccer, tag, etc.) or a task that the children do (setting the table, brushing their teeth--to use later for How-To writing). Sometimes, parents would email or text photos to me and I printed for them.
I also took photos of the children in school. Students can write about any activity they do in school. One student even asked the nurse to take a picture after he fell during recess. He came inside with scrapes on his knees and elbow. He was able to recognize the potential writing opportunity!
Each child in my class chooses a notebook for photo journaling. The photo is taped into the notebook. The children use a variety of opportunities during the day/week to write about their photo(s).
At first, the children tend to write simple labels for their pictures.
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But as we explore adding thoughts and feelings early in the school year, and as we add writing strategies and tricks, the students begin to add more to their photos. They’ll add word and thought bubbles as well as dialogue to their photos. They will become clearer about zooming into a moment and elaborating on that event or concept. As they explore mentor texts, they will add craft moves like ellipses, sound words, and pop-out words. For struggling writers, trying these strategies in a safe place first, helps translate easier to more “public” writing in the classroom.
Sometimes, when my first graders use the dreaded phrase, “I don’t know what to write about,” I send them back to their photo journal and ask them to read through what they have written. Sometimes they’ll add a thought or feeling to the journal. Other times, looking and reading in their journal will spark a writing idea and they’ll work on a new piece. Either way, they’re writing!
Coming soon:
Digital photo journals and books.
How-to writing (procedural writing
