Read the Pictures
Have you ever heard your child say, “I can’t read this. I don’t know how to read the words!”
If so, you’re not alone—and there is a simple, powerful way to support them right now.It’s okay if your child isn’t reading words yet. Every child develops reading skills at their own pace. But there are meaningful ways you can help build their confidence and set the foundation for reading success.
One of the easiest strategies?
Read the pictures.
I know what you might be thinking… what does that even mean? It means exactly that—encourage your child to “read” the illustrations. Before focusing on the words, have your child look closely at the pictures and describe what they see happening in the story. You can model this by saying things like, “One day, the girl walked down the street to the store,” or “The dog is feeling sad because another dog stole his bone.” You want to narrate your own story and have your child practice using that skill. As you read the actual text, point out how the words connect to the pictures. They won’t always match perfectly, but your child will begin noticing key words and ideas that align with the story. And remember to not worry about how it sounds when you try out loud, your child will love hearing a story from you.
This simple practice helps children:
- build vocabulary
- develop inference skills
- strengthen comprehension
- grow confidence as “readers”
- develop narrative writing skills
Most importantly, it keeps reading enjoyable and removes pressure. Children naturally love looking at pictures and telling stories—this strategy uses that strength to build early literacy skills.
My daughter is currently on her reading journey. She can read CVC words, but she isn’t yet fluent enough to pull a book off the shelf and read it independently from start to finish. Every day, she is expected to read for 10–20 minutes. However, there are times when I can’t sit beside her and support her during that reading time. Thankfully, she has had enough practice to independently “read” the pictures in a book. She uses the illustrations to tell the story, attempts to sound out words she recognizes, and often matches words to what she sees happening in the pictures.
This simple strategy allows her to practice important early literacy skills independently while continuing to build confidence as a reader. If you need your child to read on their own but aren’t available to provide support at that moment, encouraging them to read the pictures is a wonderful way to foster independence and keep them engaged in the reading process.
Try it during your next read-aloud and watch your child’s imagination—and love for reading—grow.
Keep reading, keep growing!
Megan
