Picture reading is one of the activities that will support the development of early literacy skills. Apart from developing observation skills, visual thinking, confidence to read, analysing skills, picture reading is always a fun activity.
How to involve kids in picture reading?
- Pictures may be chosen from story books or magazines or newspapers or random ones from the internet.
- Show the picture and ask questions like:
1. What do you see in the picture?
2. What do you think about the picture?
3. If it’s an object, you can ask about what your child thinks about the colour, shape, material, etc…
4. If there is a person in the picture, you can ask, “What do you think? Is it a
boy/girl/woman/women/man/men/grandfather, etc.
5. Ask about the dress they are wearing.
6. “What are they saying/thinking/doing?”
7. “Where do you think they are going?”
8. What would you do if you were in that picture?
9. Why do you think so?
10. When do you think this is happening?
11. How do you think he/she went there?
- Help your child to observe each and every detail of the picture and talk about it.
Please remember that it should be a fun activity. This should happen only when the child is ready to talk. Never force the child into this.
Uma Pratap
Group Academic Advisor, Preparatory
To start with you can use the following pictures:
