Three-Year-Old Photographers: Educational Mediation as a Basis for Visual Literacy via Digital Photography in Early Childhood

Abstract

The study examines two years of an educational program for children aged three to four, based on the use of digital cameras. It assesses the program’s effects on the children and adults involved in the project, and explores how they help the youngsters acquire visual literacy. Operating under the assumption that formal curricula usually marginalize visual and digital literacy, the program gives photography a central role in all areas of preschool learning: the children take pictures of all their daily preschool activities, and view and learn with photographs from various resources. The findings illustrate the centrality of educational mediation – by both preschool teachers and parents – in equipping young children with visual literacy. As all participants indicate, the educational process via digital photography gives preschool children the ability to experiment with problem-solving, and develop curiosity and pleasure in learning, as well as independence, confidence, responsibility, empowerment and participatory learning of both parents and children.