"The authors offer a wealth of ways to engage children in expressing meaning and documenting experiences through photographs. They provide all the practical help teachers need to use this exciting medium to expand children's ways of perceiving, representing, and thinking about their world."
—Carol Copple, Director of Publications and Initiatives in Educational Practice
National Association for the Education of Young Children

Give children new ways to express their thoughts and ideas!

When children create photo essays, they are encouraged to share their thoughts in an authentic and personal way. This creative new resource offers teachers ready-to-use tools and strategies for involving children in creating photo essays as a way to communicate ideas, experiences, and emotions.

Teachers will discover how to inspire children to capture the aesthetics of their environment, document historical events and personal stories, keep a record of what they learn, and become advocates for causes as they explore responsible citizenship. The book offers ideas and examples that illustrate how photo essays can be used:

• As part of portfolios to record what children have learned
• To help boost the confidence of struggling writers, including English language learners and children with special needs
• As an alternate assessment format to engage challenged students
• To meet state and national standards

Photo essay activities are ideal for any teacher looking for new ways to nurture student expression, excitement, and creativity in the classroom.

• Includes sample photo essays covering a variety of topics, including family histories and field trips/nature walks
• From a teacher-educator who has hands-on experience with children and shares real examples with teachers
• Presents uses of technology for the early childhood classroom
• Is built on research into how children best learn
• Includes 40 photographs of various types of photo essays