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Literature is a great tool to practice speech and language skills.  Here are some of the many language benefits of using wordless picture books.

• Wordless picture books are great for readers and pre-readers alike! Without the pressure of reading words, children gain confidence in their story telling skills, using the pictures to guide them.
• Without words, your child has the freedom to be as creative as they want! Expand on your child’s phrases, and allow your child to play with language.
• Parents or siblings can model the story, and then children can retell the story. Models should make sure to incorporate all aspects of story grammar (ie. characters, setting, initiating event, feelings, action, consequence, and resolution).
• Practice taking different viewpoints. Have fun with it! Use different voices for each character, and practice using correct pronouns.
• Model sequencing and using temporal words such as “first”, “then”, “next”, and “finally”.
• Ask your child a variety of “wh” questions. Who is in the story? What are they doing? Why are they doing that? Where are they going? When does the story take place?
• Practice inference skills. Before turning the page, ask your child what they think might happen next.
• Wordless picture books can be read in any language; perfect for multilingual families!

Below are some of my favorite wordless picture books:

Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathman

Chalk by Bill Thomson

Tuesday by David Wiesner

Flotsam by David Wiesner

A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog by Mercer Mayer

I hope you enjoy “reading” these books!

-Nicole C.