Picture books bring many benefits to children who are in the early stages of developing their reading skills. Children are listening to sounds and patterns in speech before they begin speaking themselves. They attach meaning to these patterns and use those sounds and words to start expressing ideas for themselves. When reading picture books repeatedly, children build their knowledge of sounds (phonological awareness). They will begin repeating phrases, finishing  sentences, making appropriate sound effects and copying the expression you use when something dramatic happens in the story. 

The pictures also help children understand that sounds and words have meaning. The pictures become a guide for knowing what is happening by connecting sounds and words to objects, ideas, feelings and actions. Children will start telling the story in their own words as they become confident in the meaning and pattern of the book. Scanning the pictures and looking for details develops children’s early reading skills so they become ready to follow letters and words across the page.

Picture books are rich tools for asking what might happen next, what can you see in the picture, how does the character feel, why did that happen and so much more. 

They offer opportunities to explain tricky ideas, build vocabulary with new words that describe and tell us the action. These books can introduce everyday concepts and explore ideas like friendship and problem solving. They can help us understand sequences and become predicting readers who have ideas about what might happen next.

Favourite picture books often stay with you. They are remembered for years to come because they were shared between the child and a loved one. They are like a photograph to a time and place that impressed on us and gave our imaginations a boost and opened up the world to all its possibilities. They make great presents for grown-ups too - sometimes they just say exactly what needs to be said and they can get you right where it matters.

Picture books for the win!