The LTP method takes the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” very literally. Reading photographs is a fundamental part of any LTP activity that involves participation, practice and problem solving. When students look at pictures they must first take stock of what is in the photo, they then consider what these details tell us about the picture, and, finally, they interpret the photo themselves. By consciously following these steps students develop visual literacy, while simultaneously learning about a picture’s subject(s).
When teachers ask questions that push students to think deeply about a picture, they encourage students to think and discover ideas for themselves. The activity often leads to lively discussion in which students listen to varying, even conflicting, perspectives on the same picture. Students are challenged to see through their peers’ eyes and articulate their own way of seeing. They are invited to consider the perspective of the person inside the picture.
Whether writing a story from a picture in a newspaper, or illustrating a mathematics word problem, reading pictures is a valuable activity for any area of the curriculum.
