There are many ways to read a book. Young children naturally make sense of books (and other reading material) through visual information such as pictures and illustrations. This important step on the path to reading not only supports the early development of reading strategies, but encourages your child to see themselves as a reader before they can read the words.
Invite your child to read a book to you by “reading the pictures”. As your child examines the illustrations, invite talk about what they see, think and wonder. Start by asking your child to name what they see on the page, tell what they think is happening, or what may happen. Model asking questions throughout the book.
A child can read the pictures of a familiar or unfamiliar book. Celebrate the child’s reading and notice how they gather information from pictures and make sense of it. There is no need to also read the words of the book to the child for a valuable experience with the book together.
Click here for a helpful video for parents about reading development before children can read the words.
CATEGORIES: Literacy
