Research abstract

May Book Blog – 10 books without words

It turns out that books don’t need words to tell complicated and powerful stories. Here are ten examples of books without words to engage your child in reading and storytelling this month. By Alison Keeley

lionmouse
You don’t always need words to tell a story. Of course, words help, and a good command of language can mean you can listen to or read stories that can creating a fascinating world with words. But children with special needs sometimes cannot handle words so easily – does that mean they are going to be deprived of one of the greatest joys of childhood – letting your imagination take flight with a great story?
For children with special needs who struggle with the written language, they have come up with a brilliant solution – creating books without words. That’s right, these books do not have a single word between them – yet they tell fascinating stories. These include a story about a girl who learned to fly but found it was not as easy as she thought. There is a great Aesop’s story about how a lion and a mouse learned to help each other. So if you are a caregiver for a child with special needs, take heart. Help is on the way in the form of a wordless book.

Key takeaways

  1. 10 books without words.
  2. Ages 5 and up
  3. Picture books aren’t just for young children.

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Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert Writes about the learning brain for parents who want plain answers. Every article is grounded in current neuroscience and classroom practice.