I've come to really enjoy wordless picture books. I like to use them when I read with groups of children, no matter the age. I find they are a great way to get attention and engage a group. With just a little encouragement children really pay attention to the illustrations and help tell the story. If you haven't shared a wordless picture book with a child, check out the list of titles at the end of this post and give one a try. Here are seven reasons wordless books are cool.
1. Wordless books help build comprehension. Children have to make inferences, understand sequencing, and make predictions when reading a wordless book.
2. Wordless books allow children who can't yet read, share a story. There is no text to stumble over. Children can look at the pictures and use their growing vocabulary to tell the story.
3. Wordless books encourage participation. When sharing these books with groups I have children raise their hand when they have an idea for each page. A different student continues the story on each page. This builds listening comprehension and cooperation as the group works together to tell the story.
4. Wordless books expose children to a different way of telling a story. When I have shared wordless books with children I've found that many have never read a wordless book.
5. Wordless books encourage creativity. One child might tell the story one way, while another child will use different words or set a different tone for the book.
6. Wordless books allow for savoring. There is no text to read to signal when to turn the page. The illustrations carry the story. Children can linger on a spread for several minutes, taking in all the details.
7. Wordless books allow for differentiation. The stories can be told simply, or with advanced vocabulary.
For younger children:
For older children:
Happy Reading!
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