Literacy Through Photography: Multimodal and Visual Literacy in a Third Grade Classroom

Abstract

This article reports findings from a diverse third grade classroom that integrates a literacy through photography (LTP) curriculum as a central component of writing instruction in an urban public school. A case study approach was used in order to provide an in-depth, multi-dimensional consideration of phenomena by drawing on multiple data sources to examine and describe the LTP program in this third grade classroom. Data were gathered, on average twice a week, throughout a full school year. The findings of this study demonstrate how utilizing different forms of communication, such as photography, alongside traditional school literacies, such as writer’s workshop, expands the options that children have of processing and expressing their understanding.