Why read picture books #1
Your child will be exposed to rich vocabulary which in turn will help their reading ability. Picture book writers use a variety of language such as alliteration, rhyme, metaphors and similes. Early exposure to this eclectic mix of language devices will equip your child for their own language development.
Even wordless books provide children with vocabulary as they have to think about it and create their own words to match the story.
Why read picture books #2
Picture books expose children to world issues that may be too complex to grasp.
The aim of my blog and this Facebook page is to enlighten parents, teachers and children about picture books that focus on how we can live more sustainably and equally.
If you take the time to sit down with your child and read a book that addresses a topical issue AND have a short discussion or follow up activity they will start to understand these big issues sooner and on their own level.
Why read picture books #3?
Every picture book exposes children to different ways to illustrate stories. Children can view painting techniques, ink, water pastels, crayon, pencil, collage and many more! We can view art works that expose us to different perspectives, different viewpoints and different techniques.
In many cases the art of the book is what captures our imagination.
Why read picture books #4
When we read books by ourselves we connect with the author, illustrator and characters.
When we read out loud we connect with those around us. We listen to the voices they use to tell use the story. We listen to how they read the story and we can share our thoughts as we read.
Reading with our own children brings about a closeness that is different to achieve in any other activity. We can laugh together, be surprised together, wonder about the characters, question interesting things in the images and just have a cuddle!
Why read picture books #5
Picture books encourage play.
As we look at the illustrations we are playing as we are seeking out hidden pictures, secret codes or minor characters.
We can use ideas we have read about or seen in a picture book to play a future game with.
We can talk to each other about what we have read immediately (as most picture books do not take long to read) and have fun discussing the intricacies of the story. We can talk about how we each saw the book, which characters we loved and who we would like to be.
Picture books offer hours of fun and it doesn’t all have to be sitting down!
Why read picture books #6
