Primary and Early Years > Interest > Pedagogy

P40: Researching how digital video helps lower-ability children to develop their vocabulary
Author: Sarah Mangle, Hunwick Primary School
Date: 2005

Summary

The teacher used digital video as a stimulus for improved writing skills in lower ability children. She found that the children were encouraged to experiment with a far wider range of vocabulary and showed far more enthusiasm for creative writing when using the video as a learning resource, although there was no noticeable improvement in spelling or punctuation.

Action

The teacher compares two methods of teaching character-writing. In the first, she talks with the children and asks them to make notes before writing about their characters, in a traditional manner of teaching. However, the teacher then introduces the children to digital blue cameras, which the children used to design characters. After this activity, she again asked the children to write character descriptions.

Outcomes

The teacher found that the imaginative quality of children's work had risen considerably, although the quality of spelling and punctuation and length of written pieces remained the same as previously. She concludes that digital blue cameras are a good tool for improving creative confidence in writing.

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