Today we are going to explore the benefits of wordless picture books. Why they are great for kids, what they can learn by reading them, and fun ways to use them.
I will tell you straight out that I am very fond of wordless picture books. I like them for many reasons but the main one is the wonderful possibilities presented when reading them. Wordless picture books are a great way for boys to enjoy books!
Wordless picture books are wonderful because of the stories that the reader can create. The imagination can run wild and each child can create his own story or stories. Even within the confines of the illustrations a person can see different details that may take them in many directions. Different people reading the book will tell the story differently and use a variety of vocabulary and dialogue to describe what is happening.
In this post and posts to come I am talking about true wordless picture books. I have seen a lot of nice lists that have books that have some words in them. Those are fun too, but for me wordless picture books are, well, wordless. Makes sense, right? 🙂
This post may contain affiliate links which means we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. All opinions are our own and we share things we think would be of interest to boys.
Developing stories as a child reads a wordless picture book is such good practice for reading and for storytelling. It gives the reader a chance to follow along with a pre-designed story but they can use their own words and interpretations. They have a chance to follow the plot of the story and even change it a bit to suit their idea of how the story should go. I love that.
Boys who are not big readers really enjoy wordless picture books as they can tell or “hear” the story in their mind by just enjoying the illustrations. Following along with the illustrations is a very effective early reading activity and works just as well for boys who don’t really like to read text.
I think these books are a great way to stretch learning and get kids excited about books. Basically there is a lot to see and the pressure is off.
Wordless picture books work very well for everyone from non-readers to emerging readers on through to those who are excellent readers. They also work well for people of all ages to read together. I personally really enjoy reading wordless picture books. There is just something special about them. I hope you will add them to your reading lists.
10 Things Kids Learn by Reading Wordless Picture Books:
- New vocabulary
- Visual literacy skills (interpreting images)
- Story structure
- Oral communication
- Imagination and creativity
Fun Activities to do With Wordless Picture Books:
- Record your child telling the story in his own words.
- Have your child draw a different ending to the story and slip it into the back of the book.
- Have several people read the book to your child and have him pick out differences between the stories.
- Write text for the wordless picture book. Type out your child’s version of the story and keep it with the book or use post it notes to attach the text to each page.
- Last but not least—make wordless picture books of your own.
Flotsam is our all-time favorite wordless picture book for boys.
We love this books for so many reasons. The illustrations are outstanding, the story is very imaginative, plus the lead character is a boy. Highly Recommended!
To read more about the benefits of wordless picture books and to see our lists with other great wordless picture book picks go to: