Wordless picture books – books whose narratives are told through sequenced illustrations – offer a different approach to teaching pre-reading skills. Because they do not rely on words to tell their story, wordless books are particularly useful with pre-readers and English language learners. Children enjoy looking at pictures in a book, can do so independently or with adult guidance, and learn about being a reader in the process.
Build Imagination, Vocabulary, and Communication Skills
The telling of a story can start simply and grow more complex. Each time the story is told more details – and specific parts of speech, such as adjectives or adverbs – can be added. The story can also be told in different manners, such as, all in past tense, as all dialogue, or change in tone to help children learn literary language not generally used in everyday speech. The children can participate in the storytelling, giving them a chance to practice newly learned language and literary conventions.
Left Before Right
Because wordless books only make sense when the pictures are viewed in sequence, adult readers must make a point of focusing children’s attention on the left page before the right. Particularly when children participate in the telling of the narrative, they practice the left to right pattern of reading.
Encourage Conversation
Because the story is negotiated, children and adults can take turns adding to the story. In order to determine what happens next, a child must pay close attention to what the adult has said, strengthening listening as well as speaking skills. When adults ask probing questions, they encourage the children to add details, such as how a character is feeling or where something is located; and ensure that children are active partners in the reading process.
What a Good Reader Does
Children learn to follow a logical sequence of events, pay attention to details, note cause and effect, and make inferences. With no words to guide them, children are expected to study the pictures to determine not only the narrative but also tone, character, and theme. The inferences children make into the author’s intent are similar to those that skilled readers make when comprehending literature. Children discover that a book is not random series of pictures and words but contains a beginning, middle, and end thoughtfully presented through a sequence of events.
Perfect for Parents and Children Learning English
Nonreaders and non-English speaking parents can tell their own stories. Wordless picture books are particularly useful as part of the take-home library in classrooms with multilingual children. While a child may spend much of the day communicating and learning in English, his or her parents may speak another language at home or lack the English literacy skills to read to the child. When parents are shown how to use wordless picture books to teach pre-reading skills, they become partners in their children’s education.
Because they provide a different way to learn about reading, especially for non-readers and English language learners, wordless picture books should be part of every preschool classroom. The books also offer countless possibilities for parent-child interactions through workshops, parent education nights, and take-home literature packs.
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