Why Are Picture Books Important Before Reading Text?

Have you ever presented a story book to a little child and seen what he/she does first? They may fail to read the words, or not read them entirely. Instead, they view the pictures, point to one of the characters and say what animal they think it was, or excitedly describe what they think is happening. To the adults this can be mere curiosity. For a child, however, it may be the first step towards becoming a self-assured reader.

Children first need to learn to interpret the world as they see it, and then they learn to interpret it as sentences. A picture provides them with a hint about an object, action, feeling or story. As children observe, they connect ideas, build vocabulary and communicate as they try to explain what the image means.

That's why a picture book can be more than a bunch of pretty pictures. It can serve as a link between the visual reality of the child and the written language that he or she is starting to comprehend.

Why Pictures Come Before Words in Early Learning?

A picture often conveys the meaning to young children much quicker than a written sentence. When a child can't yet read the word “dog,” he can look at a picture of a dog and know what the picture is about. With this visual link they make sense of the world before they are able to read.

This is especially helpful when you are beginning to learn how to read and write. Adults can discuss the pictures with the children and incorporate new vocabulary as it occurs. For example, a child can be introduced to vocabulary words like "feathers", "wings", "nest", and "fly" by having a conversation while viewing a book featuring a bird illustration.

It is not a vocabulary lesson and the child are not sitting down. Only discussing an interesting topic. But that is the appeal of picture-based learning.

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How Picture Books Build Early Reading Skills?

A quality picture book for kids provides ample opportunity for children to observe and engage in conversation. They can infer a character's emotions based on their facial expression, listen for background sounds, and/or make predictions for what might occur on the next page.

Such small observations help children to realize that stories have characters, settings, actions and sequences. Prior to being able to read the written text they can start to interpret the images and generate meaning from the pictures.

Picture-based activities can be used to reinforce a number of early literacy skills:

It's the process of thinking about what they see that is important. They aren't simply reading in colours.

Animal Pictures for Kids Make Learning More Engaging

Animals are interesting to children. They can be immediately drawn to a colourful elephant, a playful puppy, a roaring lion or a tiny butterfly. For this reason, animal pictures for kids are an excellent beginning for conversations and early learning.

Animal pictures can be used to help introduce vocabulary in a fun way for parents. Rather than just stating that it is a tiger, they can ask questions such as 'What colour is the tiger?', 'Where do you think it lives?'. Questions like this will prompt children to use their imagination and talk about what they see in the picture.

This can also be used to teach some of the fundamental concepts like size, colour, movement, habitat and sounds. Through conversations around pictures, a child can learn that a frog can jump, a fish can swim, and a bird can fly.

One of the reasons that a picture-filled book works well with young learners. The pictures offer a tangible set of topics to discuss, helping to clarify and retain new vocabulary.

Birds Pictures for Kids Can Encourage Curiosity

Another great subject for early picture-based learning is birds. Many children may know familiar birds from the environment, but many more will be introduced in a book. Children can be drawn to the differences in colour, shape, size, feathers and beaks with bright illustrations.

Using birds’ pictures for kids is one of the ways in which parents can make reading time a conversation. The child may be asked about the bird she has seen before or the bird she likes best. They may also attempt to guess what the birds are doing in the picture.

These easy talks develop observation and speaking abilities and make youngsters more curious about nature. Later on, if they come across unfamiliar words for other birds, the pictures will help them to link unfamiliar words with familiar words.

Picture Books Help Children Understand Stories

Recognising words is not the only aspect of reading. Children also must be made aware of what those words are communicating. Pictures can help this process by providing visual clues to children about a story.

Draw a picture of a little girl with an umbrella, standing outside in the rain. A child can make inferences about the events in the text without reading it. Maybe she is going home, waiting for someone or going to school. Good use of the picture to get the child thinking, predicting and composing a story.

Children grow more familiar with books, and start associating visual clues with written sentences. The practice of 'reading the story' is more natural.

Pictures Can Make Children More Confident Readers

Some young children are reluctant to approach pages with words. If there are words on one page that are unfamiliar, it might seem intimidating, but with illustrations it might seem more approachable. The child is first given the opportunity to look at the picture and then work out what the words mean.

This feeling of familiarity can help to alleviate pressure. Children don't have to know all the words instantly, they can use the picture to help them. May identify the character, object or action and link it to the sentence that is being read out.

This confidence can be fostered by letting children discuss pictures prior to reading the text. In response to the question, “What do you think is happening here?” children are encouraged to join in, rather than just listen.

How parents can use picture books at home.

Reading a picture book does not have to be done in a particular order. In fact, some of the best conversations come when children are given the opportunity to discover the pages on their own time. Parents may show a picture and ask a question, or just listen to what the child describes.

If the child responds in an unusual way, it is not an emergency to correct the child. What other question could you ask and what would they say? This helps to ensure that books are enjoyed by children, and helps children to understand that books can be explored and discussed.

Parents can also help children to:

• Identify recognisable characters and objects.

• Describe colours, shapes and actions.

• Predict what might happen next.

• Connect pictures with their own experiences.

• Create a short story using the illustrations.

Children enjoy reading when they are engaged in reading activities regularly.

Choosing the Right Picture Book for Young Children

Not all brightly coloured books will capture a child's interest. The illustrations should be easy for children to understand and interesting enough to elicit questions. Younger children may find books that feature familiar objects, animals, people and common situations to be very helpful.

Also take into account the amount of text. Reading sessions can be more fun for children who are still learning to read, as books can be written in simple sentences with strong illustrations. As they become more fluent and self-assured, parents can begin to read books that have more stories.

Oswaal Books may prove to be a good option for parents who seek well-structured learning aids which provide both visual stimulation and challenging learning to children of their age.

Making Picture Reading a Daily Habit

Children don't have to spend hours sitting with books in order to get the benefits of picture-based reading. Even daily brief amounts of reading can provide them with opportunities to see and hear words, to speak and imagine words, and to learn new words.

What matters is to enjoy yourself during these moments. Allow children to select a favourite book, re-examine familiar images and ask questions. At this age repetition isn't an issue. Actually, children may get even more attention to the details from hearing a story many times.

As the children develop over time, they learn that pictures and words can be used to communicate ideas. A key stepping stone to independent learning.

Conclusions

A child is not a reader when he/she learns his/her first few words. Development in reading starts much younger, from looking, listening, pointing, talking, imagining and making connections.

Children can have the opportunity to practise these early skills in a natural way when reading a picture book. From looking at animal pictures for kids to learning about birds’ pictures for kids to following a simple story by pictures, each page can spark curiosity and communication.

Pictures provide a point of departure for kids. Over time words provide them with an expression tool to communicate what they have learned. Reading is more meaningful, fun and accessible with the two!

Therefore, when instructing a child to read a word on a page, allow time for him/her to examine the pictures first. Much more than that quiet moment of observation may be doing their reading journey.