Primary and Early Years > Interest > Literacy

P26: Evaluating the contribution which a digital camera and interactive whiteboard can make to improve speaking and listening in the nursery
Author: Elizabeth Hayton, Willington Primary School, County Durham
Date: 2005

Summary

Digital cameras and the interactive whiteboard were used effectively to boost speaking and listening skills and parental engagement, and to give teachers greater insight into students' personal interests.

Action

Many students have poor speaking and listening skills upon arrival at the nursery. To try and stimulate speaking and listening in the class and at home, the teacher sent home a teddy and a digital camera with two students each weekend, to take pictures to show the class on Monday. The interactive whiteboard was then used to display the images while the child spoke.

Outcomes

The teacher perceived some improvement in overall speaking and listening in the class. In reporting back to the class, the visual hook of the photographs supported students' speech, while the rest of the class listened and asked questions. Motivation and eagerness to speak were boosted by the enthusiasm for the project.

Parent-child communication was stimulated by the collaborative project, and parents came into the school to view the photographs presented on a display board.

Teachers gained insight into the children's lives and interests, and were then able to tailor their teaching strategies to particular students, encouraging engagement in a wider range of learning activities through the use of favourite themes, such as a tractor. Such insight is not always easily attainable from students with poor communication skills.

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