8. Writing personal statements

Another important aspect of the finished postcard was the development of a written statement in which the children explained or justified the significance of the image that they had chosen. This was eventually written on the back of the card in the space that would normally be used for the written message, next to the space for the address. Although introduced during the project sessions, like the story activity, much of this part of the activity took place during literacy sessions.

Laurie felt this aspect of the project was particularly useful in helping the children to clarify and crystallise their ideas and extend their ability to talk about the significance of their visual image. They were able to expand their understanding of the communicative power of images and their ability to talk about them:

Writing the statement on the back of the postcard about what made the image important added yet another layer. It explained to a certain extent why a particular image was taken. It allowed the children to really get a focus on the image and to crystallise their ideas about what was important.