Picture books help build literacy

Picture books are a fun, kid-friendly type of book, but don’t underestimate them! They can play a big role in a child’s literacy development.

Picture books are a big part of a young child’s foundation of literacy. Before children have figured out how to read, their understanding of words is mainly informed by what they see. For children, picture books are the link to literacy. When parents read picture books with their children they can connect what they’re seeing with the words on the page and the words that their parent is saying. 

Reading together is a fun way for parents to bond with their children, and picture books are a great way to do that early on. Young children love to flip the pages, point to pictures they like and eventually tell parts of their favorite books! A book full of bright colors and interesting shapes is much more engaging than pure text or a digital book. 

Picture books are also a great way to help children learn storytelling, which will help them develop memory, language and social skills. There’s a reason kids come up with outrageously inventive stories about their day! Picture books ignite children’s imaginations, inspiring their love for stories and reading.

Find out more about raising strong readers here. 

Curious about our early literacy programs? Find out more at swhd.org/literacy.