Believe it or not, wordless picture books aren’t just for pre-readers. In fact, wordless picture books are one of the BEST ways to engage any child – regardless of reading level – in prediction, critical thinking, perspective-taking and an introduction to story structure. And the benefits don’t stop there…
Why Wordless Picture Books Matter
In a recent study on language enrichment in early childhood development, researchers at the University of Waterloo found that when parents read wordless books to their kids, they tend to use more complex language than when they read vocabulary-rich books. Here’s what happened:
When reading a traditional vocabulary book to their children, a parent would point to a picture of an apple and say, “This is an apple.” However, when reading picture-only books, parents often communicated in a very different way.
In this study, 25 mothers were given both a wordless picture storybook and a vocabulary book with pictures, and they were asked to read to their toddlers. The researchers found that parents were much more likely to utilize “complex talk” when reading picture-only books to their child.
When a page in the picture book showed an animal, for example, a parent was much more likely to talk about that animal rather than simply label it. Researchers observed parents say things like, “Where do you think the squirrel is going to go?” Or “We saw a squirrel this morning in the backyard!”
The bottom line findings? Wordless picture books offered more opportunities to learn and practice complex language than traditional, vocabulary-rich books.
How to Read a Wordless Picture Book
We know, we know. Wordless picture books can feel so intimidating to adult readers. But fret not – Other Goose recommends handing them over to your kids and letting them read the story to you! Not only will your children – regardless of their reading level(s) – feel empowered to take ownership over the narrative, but they’ll be receiving hands-on experience in developing critical thinking skills, perspective-taking, and building their awareness of non-verbal cues. Because wordless picture books don’t spell out a specific storyline, it’s up to our child’s creative minds to pay attention, take in a variety of information sources (like facial expression, setting, character development, body language and more!), and make inferences from there.
This doesn’t mean you’re off the hook entirely when it comes to reading wordless books — remember, your imagination is worth honing, too! – but it does mean that the benefits are just as effective whether or not you’re the one guiding the story along.
Top Ten Wordless Picture Books
Ready to get started on your wordless reading journey? Here are 10 bestselling classics to check out today…
p.s. Want daily age-appropriate reading recommendations for the next three weeks? Join the fun here!