by Amber Miller
January 25, 2025
Do you remember the picture books that first brought you joy? The ones that were read to you before you could read, or the ones that sparked your imagination for the first time? When you think about these stories, what do you see? Most of us might see our favorite characters or the enchanting setting of our childhood books. We see the illustrations brought to life through our memories.
Picture books bring tremendous benefits to kids who are in the early stages of developing their reading skills. Illustrations alongside text offer invaluable tools to help kids build understanding, fluency, vocabulary, and other foundational literacy skills. The imagery in a picture book brings the pages to life, serving as a visual roadmap for the story.
As children, our favorite books often captivate us with bright colors, charming characters, and boundless creativity. When kids see stories come to life on the page, it opens up a new chapter of their imagination. That’s why picture books are so crucial for young readers.
Reading picture books is an incredible way to engage children in discovery and learning. They have countless benefits that will encourage young readers to read and see what stories are genuinely made of.
What is a picture book?
Picture books for children are books where the pictures are as important as the words. They can also be books that are only made up of pictures. Stories like these offer children a visual experience that helps them see and understand what’s happening.
Picture books for toddlers can include wordless stories, and picture books for teens could be graphic novels. No matter their age or the type of book, picture books are a great way to engage young readers.
What are the benefits of picture books for kids?
Developing critical skills in kids
Picture books are a great way to introduce preschool- and kindergarten-age children to reading. When they start reading early, kids develop many critical development skills. These include language-building, comprehension, and communication. For example, illustrations can help connect ideas and words with their meanings. This encourages vocabulary-building and reading comprehension.
Reading comprehension
Picture books help children grow their ability to understand stories and identify sequences. Seeing the story come alive and watching as characters move across the pages shows a book's beginning, middle, and end. As young readers watch this happen, they can understand how things happen and explore why.
“There’s no one way of unlocking reading because every learner is different and gets excited for different things. When you started to see more graphic novels, parents asked, is it okay if they read comic books? Absolutely. Whatever they want to read. It’s a way to grow as a person.” Ann Hagaman, Adult Literacy Teacher at Crete Public Schools
Children’s social-emotional growth
Picture books also grow their social-emotional abilities. Seeing how characters feel and experience events and emotions through pictures promotes healthy emotional growth. Promoting emotional intelligence sets children up for success throughout life.
Creativity and imagination
Creativity and imagination are also built through picture books. Bright colors and exciting imagery keep children engaged and curious, encouraging them to dream big and think of their own stories.
Parent-child bonding
Parent-child bonding can be another positive outcome of picture books. Reading picture books together is a form of quality time that develops both parents’ relationships with their kids and their children’s connection with books. Sitting and reading a wordless picture book, for example, allows caregivers to become active storytellers, feeding young readers’ growth and allowing them to explore the story with their own imaginations.
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