Picture books without any text have been shown to increase literacy and vocabulary skills for toddlers with developmental challenges, according to a recent study presented at the annual conference of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association.
Researchers at Utah State University examined the type of language mothers used when they were reading or looking at books with their children. They discovered that more complex language and interaction were present between mother and child with the wordless book.
“We found that when creating a story or just responding to pictures, the parent used many words and complex sentence structures while engaging with their child. That level of engagement wasn’t as present when reading books with text,” said Professor Sandra Gillam, PhD.
“These results fall in line with the generally accepted belief that less structured activities, such as playing with toys or creating things with Play-Doh, elicit more productive language interactions between parent and child,” Gillam added.
While the findings don’t diminish the importance of reading printed books, researchers encouraged use of wordless books as “a way to build a more solid literacy foundation in children with developmental disabilities.”
Researchers found that many parents naturally respond to their children when sharing wordless books with them. They believe that once parents realize how helpful this type of interaction is for their child, they can apply the same approach for books with text.