Building Developmental Skills with Digital Cameras

You should consider introducing your child to a camera this summer. Digital cameras give opportunities for us to see the world from their perspectives and serves as a useful learning tool to expand vocabularies, develop story-telling skills, and enrich scientific investigations. Remember to let your child choose his/her subjects to photograph.

Researchers in Europe gave cameras to children in five different countries and from three age groups (7, 11, and 15). Several patterns evolved.

– 7-year-olds were more likely to take pictures at home, often of their possessions (toys).

– 11-year-olds took more pictures that excluded people. They included outdoor scenes, and were the most artistic or unusual, producing the greatest number of exhibition quality pictures, were more likely to take humorous or silly pictures, and used different camera effects.

– 15-year-olds focused on their social world, with lots of peer group pictures, were more likely to take humorous or silly pictures, and used different camera effects.

– All groups valued spontaneity.

A few activities could include:

– Use photos to illustrate their stories. They can write a story first and then take photos, or take random photos and create stories from them.

– Create a set of “emotion” flashcards (pictures of people making a variety of emotional facial expressions).

– Wildlife or pet photography a tool for scientific inquiry. A zoom lens, offers opportunities to discover that animals are much more interesting by choosing to photograph feet, noses, ears, mouth, etc. which results in using powers of observation. Take nature walks, go to the park, and to the zoo. Allow your child to pick subjects they are interested in.

– Document how a flower (e.g., a morning glory) opens at daybreak and closes at night

– Photograph the same outdoor scene under different weather conditions.

– Place food near an ant trail and take photos every few hours.