The Importance of Books Without Words
For an emerging reader, books without words can be a great tool to build confidence and to teach the habits of reading. What can kids learn or do with these books? Here are a few ideas:
- For children who are intimidated by text, this is a terrific way to get them comfortable with books.
- Simply turning the pages from right to left is important for kids to learn.
- It’s great for kids to create a story that follows the pictures, which teaches them to follow the structure of a pre-existing narrative.
- For kids who are starting to read and write, have them jot down the words to the story on a separate piece of paper. You can write your own version as well and compare ideas.
- It’s fun to look at great pictures.
I found a good list of books without words on the blog Getting Reading, written by British Educator, Richard Hanks. It’s worth a quick look, and his blog is filled with great information about reading as well.
And you can purchase one of his recommended books, Flotsam, by clicking here.
May 3rd, 2009
Great stuff, thanks for the reference Otis. I’d be interested to hear about any other books without words people have found useful and fun.
All the best