Use of camera in early childhood

My kindergarten used to put out two cameras in a basket and let the children help themselves. The cameras did not last long and both were broken in less then six months. Subsequently, the head teacher lost faith and no more camera for children. I believe that young children are competent learners and problem solvers. So, I let them use my camera often.

My camera is still in good order. I guess it's because they need to ask me first before they can lay their hand on my camera. It gives me an opportunity to remind them about how to look after the camera. The children learn fast, they understand that the privilege to use the camera is conditional on using the shoulder/ wrist's strap in case the camera drops; they know they need to return the camera back to my safe hands after they have finished. If they are beginners, I will go through the basics of which button to press to shoot a photo; how to check the screen to confirm whether their fingers are in the way; and which button to press to view the images taken and so on. Also, I will supervise for a while before I let them move out of my sight.

Let children use the camera addresses adult-child power imbalances in documentation of children's learning. The children are allowed to have a say and their voice is heard/visible. Yesterday, a child asked me for the camera to take a photo of his Lego construction.  As I was documenting another child's learning, I could not lend him the camera and I offered to take the photos instead. So, the boy asked me to capture only the part made by him, and he wanted me to avoid the adjoining part built by another child. I notice that children always have a sense of purpose in using the camera to document their learning.

Similarly, photography initiated by children provides rich insights into how children experienced art. Rosemary Richards of Massey University has done a research called "young visual ethnographers: Children's use of digital photography to record, share and extend their art experiences". She found out that photos taken by children reveal their perspectives; and that children looking at photos together with an adult heightens consciousness of the art experiences. So many times during the day, the children invite their teacher to enjoy their art,  "come to see my painting, do you like it?" Use of camera by children enhances the joint experience.

Specifically, photographs promote interpersonal and interpersonal dialogues. The child has some images to refer to when revisiting, evaluating, analyzing, and simply talking about his art experiences to a teacher or a friend. Even though the child looks at the photos on his own, he is looking at the artwork with fresh eyes , as Rosemary says, he is "having a sense of audience". He is taking up the role of an audience as well as the artist. The experience helps the child to develop metacognitive skills to think, to critique, and to improve.