Effective communication is essential for understanding and sharing ideas, particularly when discussing our pedagogy with others. But communicating complex ideas can be tricky—particularly when it comes to early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy and practice.
At Hunters Hill Preschool, we have introduced visual literacy to explain our approach and to ensure all stakeholders have a voice and a clear understanding of what we do and how we do it. Subsequently, we have created ‘Our Practice through Pictures’ documents which incorporate photographic examples and illustrate our everyday practice and philosophies.
Fully inclusive environment
Hunters Hill Preschool is a fully inclusive service where contributions from all stakeholders, our children, their families, and all staff, are seen as valuable. Through an inclusive lens and ongoing discussion, we found that some educators and families were finding it challenging to engage with our pedagogical documentation.
Upon reflection, we realised this type of documentation was text-heavy and full of professional terminology. We decided on an approach that would allow all stakeholders to contribute and understand our improvement journey, so we integrated photographs as visual aids into our quality improvement documents.
Communicating through pictures
The idea to use visual literacy is not a modern concept. Early civilisations used carvings and cave paintings to convey meaning and share stories. Today, with the growth of digital media, visual literacy has become an essential tool for communication.
And ultimately, the addition of photographs has made our documentation more user-friendly, enriched understanding of its contents, and made the ideas easier to grasp.
By using photographs to represent our practice, we are finding that all stakeholders have a better understanding of our pedagogy, and they have an increased ability to engage in conversations about our teaching practice.
Photographs serve as a universal language, transcending literacy barriers and communicating effectively with individuals who may struggle with reading or writing. They are easily accessible and concrete, offering inclusivity for people with diverse learning styles, such as visual learners, as well as those with language barriers or English as a second language.
Experts in the early childhood sector have long recognised the value of visual aids, particularly photographs, in helping children acquire and understand basic skills and concepts. The use of photographs as a pedagogical tool to document children's learning is also on the rise. ‘Our Practice through Pictures’ is another way to visually communicate our pedagogy.
Critical reflection for continuous improvement
Critical reflection is the key driver of continuous improvement, and we have observed that the addition of photographs of our practice have stimulated engagement and reflection.
Pictures have prompted discussions and encouraged educators to think deeply about their own practice as they share personal teaching philosophies with each other.
Contributing photographic examples of pedagogy and practice has given our whole team an opportunity to express their perspectives and learn about each other.
Adding photographs to our key documents has empowered our educators, helping them feel represented and valued within their practice. Having every staff member collect tangible evidence of our practice has reiterated to the whole team the worth and importance of all the little things we do every day.
‘Our Practice through Pictures’ documents are a work in progress, continuously evolving as new ideas emerge. The outcomes speak for themselves, demonstrating how deeply our practice is embedded in everything we do.
We have shared these documents with our community, receiving positive feedback. At our recent ‘grandparents and friends morning tea’, a display of the documents sparked numerous questions about our pedagogy and compliments about our teaching practice. When we shared these documents with the children, they were thrilled to see themselves represented in photographs and eagerly asked if they could add their own drawings.
‘Our Practice in Pictures’ has provided all stakeholders with a clear understanding of our everyday practice.
Further reading
Use of photographs as a powerful tool in teaching/learning environment: an experience: https://library.iated.org/view/SADIQ2013USE
Why images are powerful for learning: https://infocus.eltngl.com/2018/09/07/images-powerful-learning/
10 visual literacy activities for language learning: https://www.myetpedia.com/visual-literacy-activities-language-learning/
About Wendy
Wendy Richards is the Pedagogical Leader at Hunters Hill Preschool, a community-based preschool in Sydney. She works with a diverse team of educators, inspiring and guiding pedagogical practice across the service. Wendy is deeply committed to seeing children as capable, creative, and active participants in their own learning. Her work is grounded in strong, respectful relationships with children, families, and colleagues.