Using Images – some
ideas
Photographs
To record children’s progress, to show their achievements and
their processes for example as they build a model or complete a puzzle. Particularly if this shows a sense of
achievement for the children. Photos can track children’s progress and general
well-being to inform future planning.
To communicate with parents – pictures on display or in children’s
folders.
To include in project files for future reference or to put on display to remind
children.
To promote children’s self-esteem that their work is
valued
As a learning tool, photos of familiar events can enhance
learning. Photos can remind and
reinforce children’s learning through shared experiences recorded in
photographs.
If possible, take photos on home visits before they start
Photograph special events ready for the children to take home e.g. their birthday, their
first day or special nursery day.
Use laminated photos as a prompt, e.g. to see who is present each
day.
Take a set of photos with children to show their own life story e.g. their family,
their favourite activities, where they
live.
Make place-mats for meal or snack times.
These could also become a fund raising
activity.
Reinforce your rules and routines through positive reinforcement by photographing sharing
times, children taking turns and being kind to
others.
Take sequences of photos to promote language development and story sequencing (e.g.
yesterday today and tomorrow).
Take photos to promote specific vocabulary development such as possessive or
positional language.
Use children as characters in home-produced story
boards.
Use photos to make letterheads, greetings cards and post cards to send home or share
with others.
Take snaps of features of the indoor and outdoor nursery environment and encourage
children to find these places or describe them to
others.
Display pictures of the local environment and specific walks e.g. a texture
walk.
Make picture matching games with children’s favourite
items
Match photo sections like a jigsaw.
Photograph numbers in the environment e.g. house numbers, car number plates or
signs
Use photos for the birthday chart.
Use photos for PHSE e.g. feelings-matching happy faces, finding the opposite to sad
etc
Take spot the difference pictures e.g. the book corner with and without the cushions, the sand tray with a missing sand wheel
Take photos of ‘tools of the trade’ when visitors come in e.g. police with their
bikes and clothing, nurses or doctors
Take
photos outdoors to show the changing seasons, particularly if you have a tree
which is prominent and sheds it leaves.
Use
photos in Powerpoint for presentations at parents evenings, open days, staff,
governor or committee meetings or to show the
children.