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| Reading With Picture Books |
When people think of children’s books, they imagine illustrated pages and scenes dominating the story. These images can help engage children and keep them sitting still and attentive during story time, but these illustrations can be helpful beyond that as well. When it comes to illustrated books, the images are meant to accompany and enhance the story. They are meant to be looked at and explored, and they can help enrich the story as well as a child’s overall reading experience. There are plenty of benefits to exploring the images and illustrations that adorn children’s books, and using them to your advantage can help you boost your child’s reading skill, their relationship with books and can help them develop an understanding and appreciation for art.
Engage Kids with Illustrations
Many adults are familiar with the old adage “Don’t judge a book by its cover” but children do it all the time. Before children enter language, their understanding of the world is defined by their other senses and babies are especially visual learners. Illustrations can be used to entice children into reading certain books, especially if they do not yet know how to read or are still getting a handle on the skill. A book’s illustrated cover can tell them a lot. It will tell them what the story may be about, where the setting might be, and what the overall tone of the book is. For kids, book subjects tend to be positive, but the front cover may divulge whether the book is about an adventure, a how-to book or a book that explores a relationship with others that kids are familiar with.
Enhance Their Reading Skills
Illustrations convey meaning and can help describe the story unfolding, which is helpful for kids. Kids engage with illustrations because they can be understood, which is especially important before kids actually learn how to read, but can be especially helpful as kids are learning to hone their skills. Illustrations can help inform what words are in the text and can guide kids who are just learning to read. This way, the images can be used as a helpful guide that will steer kids in the right direction. It can also be a great way to introduce kids to new things and new concepts. By showing them images that they can understand, kids will be able to better understand and become familiar with ideas and concepts. Kids are still learning how to use their imagination and illustrations can aid in this process when it comes to building this skill.
The illustrated images of books are also integral to kids’ first real interactions with books themselves. Whether they are flipping through the pages on their own or even if someone is reading to them, they are still visually engaged with the images inside. This is the first real personal connection that kids experience when it comes to book reading, and it can foster a life-long love of reading.
Exercise their Brain
While many infants and toddlers tend to be visual learners, many kids retain this aspect well into childhood and the rest of their lives. People who are visual learners tend to understand things better when they can imagine scenarios or see them physically unfold. For example, a visual learner will respond better and learn faster by watching someone tie their shoe than by reading a step-by-step set of instructions. Some reluctant readers are reluctant because they do not respond as well to words as they do to images, but using illustrated books to enhance reading can change that. The images in books accompany the story and they help in the telling. Some images display exact events as they were described and may even reveal other additional information that was not inherent in the text.
Using pictures in books can help enhance a child’s reading comprehension skills and will boost their imaginative abilities. Reading picture books can help visual learners visualize what’s written in text, and as they get older they may be able to harness this skill on their own when reading books that do not have images to assist them.
Even kids who are not heavy visual learners can benefit from picture books. Learning visually is a valuable skill no matter what.
Illustrations can help enhance reading for children in other ways, as well. Kids can see new things and explore the world in pictures and images while they learn about distance locales and other cultures. Kids can also develop an understanding and familiarity with art as well.
Visit our website at KDNovelties.com for a selection of personalized picture books that will keep children reading and learning for a lifetime!