Wordless Book Research Articles

A literature review on the benefits of wordless picture books for children’s development.

Wordless picture books contain no printed text, a narrative is conveyed solely through illustrations. Professionals are not always convinced of the usefulness of wordless picture books, and an overview of the benefits or disadvantages of these books is also lacking. The aims of this review study were to 1) investigate the benefits and/or disadvantages of wordless picture books for children’s development, and 2) provide an overview of the characteristics of research on using wordless picture books with children. A systematic search yielded 35 peer-reviewed articles on the use of wordless picture books with children (aged 0 to 12). These articles show that wordless books may benefit children’s speech and language development and their psychosocial development. Wordless books may also have a positive impact on children’s environment, which may in turn benefit child development. For example, adults seem to interact with wordless picture books in such a way that they provide the right preconditions for children’s language development. Research on wordless picture books is characterised by small-scale studies with young English-speaking children. Studies with larger and other participant groups are needed. Nevertheless, this study provides evidence that wordless picture books are a promising tool for benefiting children's development.

TEKSTO SUVOKIMO GEBĖJIMŲ UGDYMAS 2 KLASĖJE PANAUDOJANT BEŽODES KNYGAS

The development of text comprehension skills in primary school is constantly seeking new ways of engaging students of different abilities. One such innovation is wordless books. Given the lack of information on the use of such books, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of wordless book-based educational activities on the text comprehension skills of second grade students. The method chosen for the study was participatory action research. Three educational activities were planned and carried out to observe students' activity. Before and after the educational activities, the students' comprehension of the fiction text was measured. The methods used for data collection were: analysis of pedagogical literature, written questionnaire, informal natural indirect observation. The questionnaires used to investigate the text comprehension skills were specially designed and identified 4 main skills of fiction text comprehension (finding clearly presented information, making inferences, integrating and interpreting ideas and information, examining the content and details of the text, evaluating). The participants were selected by convenience sampling. The participants were 17 second grade students from one school class. Based on the results of the text comprehension skills test, 3 educational activities based on reading wordless books were designed. All the educational activities followed a single lesson model: at the beginning of the activity, students were introduced to the topic and objective of the lesson, followed by a collective reading of a wordless book, a discussion, a creative task and reflection. The study showed that the wordless book-based activities had a positive impact on some of the second grade students' inference and integration of ideas and information, and interpretation skills. The wordless book activities were more engaging for students with lower levels of educational achievement. Keywords: wordless books, text comprehension skills, primary education, language development

Okul Öncesi Öğretmenlerinin Sessiz Kitap Kullanımı: Bir Durum Çalışması

The present study aimed to investigate the views of preschool teachers on wordless books, and the use of wordless books by preschool teachers. The study method was explanatory case study, a qualitative research method. The study group was assigned with criterion sampling method, a purposive sampling method, and included eight preschool teachers. Data were collected with semi-structured interviews and document review. Content analysis was employed to analyze the study data. It was determined that the teachers generally described wordless books as a subjective process that included visuals, which led to the development of various stories. Furthermore, it was determined that wordless books supported language, cognitive, social, and emotional development of the children, and were easy to use by the children. It was observed that the teachers employed wordless books mostly in the classroom and in art and Turkish language activities, and instructed them with the interactive book reading method. It was concluded that the method was not included in the activity plans, and open-ended and 5W1H questions were mostly included in the process. It was determined that teacher competencies were important for the effective use of wordless books. The findings are discussed based on the literature, and recommendations are presented.

Comparing parent-child interaction during wordless book reading, print book reading and imaginative play.

This study investigated differences in adult-child language interactions when parents and their three-to-four-year old children engage in wordless book reading, text-and-picture book reading and a small-world toy play activity. Twenty-two parents recorded themselves completing each activity at home with their child. Parent input was compared across contexts, focusing on interactive and conceptual domains: use of open prompts, expansions or extensions of children's utterances, and use of decontextualised (abstract) language. Use of linguistic expansions was greater during book reading than toy play. Parents used open questions and added contingent conceptual information more often when reading wordless books than in both other conditions. Findings suggest that wordless books may combine the benefits of open-endedness and linguistic content based around a narrative. Parents' use of abstract language also varied by condition. This study extends understanding of the role of activity context in shaping children's language learning environments.

The Use of Wordless Books in Terms of Dialogical Pedagogy and Learning Approaches

This study is based on the assumption of using wordless books in the educational environment coincides with the expectations of dialogical pedagogy. It is aimed to establish a stronger connection between wordless books and dialogic pedagogy. The reason why wordless books need to be more widespread is presented in terms of theory. For this, the difference between monologue and dialogue style is used as a problem situation. Monologue and dialogic styles in education are theoretically positioned at two different poles and many educational approaches can be explained in terms of these poles. The same difference was observed between wordless books and written books. The nature of wordless books, their characteristics and their contribution to the skills of the individual are interpreted in terms of the character of dialogical and monological education. As a second theoretical layer, the monological aspects of learning approaches (behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism) are also considered as a second theoretical layer in order to present more clearly the features of dialogic pedagogy that can be associated with wordless books. The inclusion of learning approaches in the problem of the study allowed us to answer the question of why wordless books are not widespread in the educational environment and to analyze the contribution of wordless books in terms of dialogue.

Evaluating the usefulness of a wordless picture book for adults with intellectual disabilities about the COVID-19 vaccination programme using co-production: The CAREVIS study.

To explore the usefulness of a co-designed wordless book showing processes of receiving COVID-19 vaccines designed by, and for, adults with intellectual disabilities. A qualitative evaluation of the resource using mixed methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with people with intellectual disabilities, carers and health professionals about resource content, and use. This was analysed thematically. A survey was circulated to intellectual disabilities networks to understand resource need, use, sharing and content. Understanding the COVID-19 vaccine was a process, not a single event using one resource. A visual resource had a place in facilitating conversations about vaccines between people with intellectual disabilities and carers. Differing perspectives were expressed regarding personal needs, existing awareness of vaccine programmes and communication preferences. Changes were suggested to improve the suggested storyline and relevance around COVID-19 restrictions changing. A visual resource may help conversations about the COVID-19 vaccine for people with intellectual disabilities.

Strength in storytelling: Peacebuilding via wordless books

AbstractPeace and restoration (henceforth, peacebuilding) have become buzzwords as we continue to wrestle with global problems. In this article, the authors focus on storytelling as a form of peacebuilding using wordless books (or picture books without words), with a focus on how peacebuilding may be conceptualized and woven into the fabric of the English language teaching field. Wordless books have been used for decades to help people develop meaning from pictures, comprehend story structures, improve engagement and motivation, support language learning, and develop storytelling skills (Cruzado‐Guerrero & Martínez‐Alba, 2022). As such, wordless books become part of an open invitation to engage in storytelling. Through this article, peacebuilding via storytelling using wordless books is explained as a social–emotional learning (SEL) classroom practice. Supported by the available literature focusing on storytelling and peacebuilding, the authors share a lesson design providing a clear way to develop capacity for peacebuilding skills using wordless books.

Bunny & Tree by Balint Zsako

Reviewed by: Bunny & Tree by Balint Zsako Kara Forde Zsako, Balint Bunny & Tree; written and illus. by Balint Zsako. Enchanted Lion, 2023 [184p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781592703937 $29.95 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 3-6 This exquisite wordless book in nine acts visually conveys the story of a friendship between the titular characters Bunny and Tree. A prologue establishes a peaceful and contemplative tone with depictions of Tree’s germination and growth throughout the seasons. Act 1 opens dramatically, as fearful-eyed Bunny flees from a terrifying sharp-toothed monster, thankfully finding refuge with Tree, who bends and morphs to mirror the intimidating form of the monster, scaring it away. In safety, Bunny and Tree regard one another (Tree through the binocular holes in its leaf canopy), and Bunny gently digs through the soil to uproot and deposit Tree into a small red wagon. The two embark (pun intended) on an epic journey across railroads, seas, and mountain peaks to search for the other bunnies that were scared off by the monster. Devotion exudes from Tree’s being, as Tree’s transformations into various shapes (a train, a sailboat, a plane, etc.) enable their shared expedition spurred by Bunny’s longing. Sweeping full-bleed illustrations rely on color to guide the tenor [End Page 345] of this tale, with consistent landscape scenes that have the fluid pigment layering of watercolor and the bold saturation of gouache. Zsako brilliantly utilizes speech bubbles containing visually symbolic messages to relay the conversations between Bunny and Tree. The denouement of an emotionally charged climax provides comfort and includes a surprising moment of humor relating to bunny droppings that still suits the story’s philosophical tone. Readers with a romantic worldview and keen attentiveness to visual information will find deep solace in this picture book. [End Page 346] Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

The Effectiveness of Evangelism by the Wordless Book Method for Children Aged 5-12 Years at Rumah Belajar Mega

An interesting period of human development to study is childhood, especially middle childhood or school age. The development of children at this school age is physically slow growth but the cognitive development of children begins to develop well. Also, the influence of peers will greatly affect their development. Therefore, it is necessary to start teaching about evangelism so that there is a balance between the spiritual and psychological development of children. This research was conducted on several children at Rumah Belajar Mega in West Bandung Regency. The demographics of the population in this area are predominantly Sundanese and Muslim. The researcher will see the effectiveness of the application of teaching evangelism to children using the wordless book method in the age range of 5-12 years. This research is descriptive qualitative. The research sample was 30 children who were students of Rumah Belajar Mega. The results of the research were obtained from direct observation and interviews with research subjects, and well documented through photos and videos. Children’s understanding of the Bible improved well, besides that there were also good character changes.

A Cross-Case Study of Children’s Oral Narratives and Image Reading of a Wordless Picturebook

Young children read wordless books as an important early literacy learning activity. This study explores oral narrative construction and image reading of a wordless book by six K-2 children.. Through a cross-case analysis, the results indicate growth of coherence and cohesion building in the verbal narratives across grade levels, as well as a complexity of image reading as children make connections to their lifeworlds and actively use their social imaginations.

Teaching Strategies for Children with Expressive Language Disorder

Students who have communication disorders will need special help from teachers in the regular education environments. This research aims to investigate the English teaching strategies and activities for students with language impairment, especially expressive language disorder. This research used descriptive qualitative research design which focus on literature study from relevance references. The collected data were analysed descriptively, thus the English teaching strategies and classroom management for students with expressive language disorder could be formulated. The result of the study showed that teaching strategies that could improve expressive language are Modelling, Expansion, Choices, Waiting or Withholding, Imitation, Parallel Talk, Picture Communication, Paraphrase, and Place Things Out of the Child’s Reach. Meanwhile, the activities that is suitable to be applied for students with expressive language disorder during instruction through which those activities are also applicable at home practice; wordless books, books with simple text, bubbles, play dough, toy animals, trains sets or car, and play food. Therefore, by implementing those strategies and activities, it is expected the students with expressive language disorder could improve their language competency either in receptive or productive use.

The Cambridge History of the Graphic Novel ed. by Jan Baetens, Hugo Frey, and Stephen E. Tabachnick

Reviewed by: The Cambridge History of the Graphic Novel ed. by Jan Baetens, Hugo Frey, and Stephen E. Tabachnick Partha Bhattacharjee (bio) and Priyanka Tripathi (bio) Jan Baetens, Hugo Frey, and Stephen E. Tabachnick, eds. The Cambridge History of the Graphic Novel. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2018. ISBN 978-1-107-17141 xii + 677 pp. £125 (cloth). The Cambridge History of the Graphic Novel, edited by Jan Baetens, Hugo Frey, and Stephen E. Tabachnick, is an anthology that offers an insight into the journey and development of comics to graphic novels. Within thirty-six chapters, including an 'Introduction' by the editors-trio, the volume provides vivid discussions on the graphic novels from different countries and the status of the genre as an upcoming literary field. The tripartite structure of the volume includes essays by thirty-five scholars and historians, including three editors. One of the major objectives of the volume is to track the trajectory of the genre, graphic novel, from 1799 to the present day. Apart from that, the volume justifies its title with elaborate discussions on those comics which are "serious" in content. After an 18-page "Introduction," Part I of the volume consists of the essays, covering a wide range of comics and graphic narratives from 1799 to 1978. Beginning with the essay by Denis Miller and Hugo Frey the anthology kicks off the issue on the origin of the adult graphic novel throughout the middle of the 18th century in a lucid way. This particular section ranges on diverse thematic discussions revolving around long-length comics strips, long-length wordless books, post-war 'drawn novel,' Beat-era and graphic novels, underground comics, and most importantly the significant difference between comics and graphic novels. 'Drawn novel' by Jan Baetens focuses on the early examples of illustrious graphic novels. Two chapters namely "Long-Length Serials in the Golden Age of Comics Strips: Production and Reception" and "Long-Length Wordless Books: From Masereel, Milt Gross, Lynd Ward, and Beyond" by Daniel Stein and Lukas Etter and Barbara Postema respectively point out the flourish of comics in the golden era. Their introduction as "open-ended continuity narratives" (53) manifest the basic differences rather than similarities. Besides, this section predominantly engages its views on the differentiation between the basic tenets of comics and graphic novels which is shown in the chapter by Gavin Parkinson. The chapters with their treatment of comics and graphic novels hold potentials for further research. There is a mention of popular texts such as Yellow Kid (1890) by Richard F. Outcault and George B. Luks; Happy Hooligan (1899-1932) by Frederick Burr Opper; Maus (1890–1991) by Art Spiegelman; Persepolis (2000-2003) by Marjane Satrapi; Troglodytes (2004) by Marcel Ruijters; The Great War (2013) by Joe Sacco; Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (1986) by Frank Miller; Zap Comix (1968-2014) by Robert Crumb; Marvel's Graphic Novel Line of 1982; and DC Graphic Novels of [End Page 164] 1983; all of which construct a platform to re-nurture the textual spaces and the cultural elements that are ingrained within the texts. The second section spans the years from 1978 to 2000, focusing on well-known graphic novelists and comics artists such as Will Eisner, Art Spiegelman, and Alan Moore, and their contributions towards the development of this genre. The chapter "No Future: Punk and the Underground Graphic Novel" by Benjamin Noys retraces the significance of the underground graphic novel as well as the characteristic features of it in a much broader spectrum. Significantly, there is the mention of subaltern marginalized voice(s) and their emergences in the platforms of graphic novels and comics through the respective chapters "'A Word to You Feminist Women': The Parallel Legacies of Feminism and Underground Comics" by Susan Kirtley and "The Secret Origin of the LGBTQ Graphic Novels" by Justin Hall. The section provides a vivid description of the Japanese Manga culture as well which is very vivid. In the chapter on Alan Moore by Christopher Murray, the latter addresses him as "one of the first 'superstar' comics writers" as well as an "auteur writer" (220). Murray focuses on the concept of comics auteurship which was quite popular in the 60s...

Developing children's critical thinking through wordless book


 In wordless book the text is absent and the weight of the narrative has only the images (Arizpe, 2013. Gibson, 2016). In the classroom, wordless books can be used by small groups of students or individual students, who are encouraged to make suggestions about the content of each picture in the book. It is a complex process that requires the development of children's critical thinking and consequently the activation of a number of cognitive skills, such as processing and analysis, formulation of assumptions, reasoning, conclusion and evaluation (APA, 1990. Facione, 1990, 1992, 1994, 2007. Facione, Facione & Giancarlo, 1997, 2000. Facione, Giancarlo, Facione, & Gainen, 1995. Wason-Ellam, 1989). This article suggests ways teacher educators use wordless books in order to develop First Grade students’ critical thinking skills and expand their vocabulary.
 Key words: wordless book, critical thinking, vocabulary

Parent-child interaction during storybook reading: wordless narrative books versus books with text.

This study examines the content and function of parent-child talk while engaging in shared storybook reading with two narrative books: a wordless book versus a book with text. Thirty-six parents audio-recorded themselves reading one of the books at home with their 3.5-5.5-year-old children. Pragmatic and linguistic measures of parental and child talk during both narrative storytelling and dialogic interactions were compared between the wordless and book-with-text conditions. The results show that the wordless book engendered more interaction than the book-with-text, with a higher rate of parental prompts and responsive feedback, and significantly more child contributions, although lexical diversity and grammatical complexity of parental language were higher during narration using a book-with-text. The findings contribute to research on shared storybook reading suggesting that different book formats can promote qualitatively different language learning environments.

Mother‐child talk about mental states: The what, who, and how of conversations about the mind

AbstractResearch on parents’ mental state talk (MST) and children's social understanding is typically situated within a social constructivist approach, which asserts that parent‐child conversations around mental states promotes children's social understanding. However, prior research has provided a limited view of children's participation in these exchanges or the interaction among qualities of MST. This study examined 67 mothers’ MST while narrating a wordless book with their preschoolers (Mage = 4.51 years) and children's subsequent responses; children were 80% White and 49% female. We coded mothers’ MST for three qualities: (1) category (e.g., cognition), (2) referent (e.g., child), and (3) utterance function (e.g., open‐ended question). Using sequential analysis, we hypothesized that children would respond to mothers’ mental state input with MST or connected talk. We also examined relations among mothers’ mental state category and referent/function. Examining over 1700 utterance pairs, there was considerable matching between mother's and children's MST within categories, children responded in a connected way when MST focused on the child or cognition, and children tended to respond to open‐ended questions and closed questions, but not comments, about mental states. This study provides a novel method for analyzing parent‐child MST, suggests that particular qualities of mothers’ MST tend to co‐occur, and suggests that particular qualities of mental states are especially likely to engage children in MST.

Beyond the written word: The role of text on preschool teachers’ book sharing styles

Teachers’ sharing of picture books is a quintessential activity in early childhood classrooms, and has been found to be predictive of children’s language and literacy skill development. Although most research, to date, has focused on the manner in which preschool teachers share text-based books with their students, recent work has recommended that teachers include wordless books as part of their classroom book sharing routines. Yet, little is known about how the absence of text might influence teachers’ discourse styles. The present study, thus, explored the discourse styles used by preschool teachers of Latino dual-language learners when sharing both text-based and wordless picture books with their class. Results showed that, while there were common features across both book types, when sharing wordless books teachers tended to adopt a more co-constructive style, by asking questions and supporting children’s participation in the sharing of the story. At the same time, they were more likely to elicit predictions and analyses from the children. The findings highlight the importance of including wordless books in preschool classroom book sharing interactions, especially in classrooms serving dual-language learners.

Children's theory of mind referencing and contribution to discourse during different book sharing contexts in preschool

Theory of Mind (ToM), defined as children's understanding of their own and others' minds, is a foundational social cognitive skill. Research showed the important role of adults' conversations during book sharing, focusing on mental states, for ToM development. Additionally, children's mental-state talk is rarely studied. The current study focused on several children's discourse characteristics: mental-state terms, references to false beliefs, questions, reactions and initiations, between a small group and their preschool teacher during different contexts of book sharing at preschool: (1) Storybook reading; (2) Storybook reconstruction, when teachers reconstructed the story with the children based on a wordless version of the same book; (3) Storybook telling of a wordless book based only on illustrations. In all three conditions the teachers received the book and read/looked through it prior to the interactions with the children. Our findings showed that children's discourse characteristics appeared more during telling than reconstruction and reading, and more during reconstruction than during reading. Our discussion highlights the particular contribution of wordless book contexts, without sticking to text, for enhancing children's mental-state references and their active participation in discussions on books with preschool teachers and peers.

Uprooted by war: The child refugee crisis in the wordless book "La Valigia" by Angelo Ruta

Humanity is currently facing the greatest refugee crisis since the Second World War. Children find themselves both directly and indirectly affected by this crisis. They are faced with making sense of complex issues and their diverse repercussions. For example, the distinct difference between a refugee whose life is at risk and a migrant seeking to improve their economic situation by moving to another rich country with prospects, is of particular importance for the objective study of the reasons and dimensions of the refugee crisis. In this context, this article explores the wordless book “La Valigia” by Angelo Ruta, where the construction of the meaning is dependent entirely on carefully sequenced images. The book depicts how a child of the war zone remembers and dreams while facing the chaos of having been chased by bombs and guns. This is the story of a sweet dream; dream that, despite the chaotic environment of reality, was kept alive inside a large suitcase. In this ‘silent’ book, which was a finalist of the Gianni De Conno Award (Silent Book Contest 2018), the vacuum created by the lack of words strengthens the meaning and allows it to exist in another form. At the same time, this style of book is changing the ways we understand and approach literature.

Mothers’ distancing language relates to young children’s math and literacy skills

Parents’ distancing language—language that requires cognitive abstraction and moves beyond the “here and now”—relates to children’s literacy skills, but its association with mathematics remains unexamined. Participants were 242 mother–child dyads from African American, Chinese American, Dominican American, and Mexican American backgrounds. Mothers’ distancing language was examined while mothers shared a wordless book with their 5-year-olds; children’s math and literacy skills were assessed when children were 5.0 and 6.5 years of age. Mothers’ distancing language, but not amount of language (word tokens), related to children’s concurrent math and literacy skills. Mothers’ distancing language predicted growth in children’s literacy skills over time and related to later math indirectly through associations with early math. The importance of distancing language for cognitive growth may have implications for parenting and classroom practice.

Do, say, learn: the functions of mothers' speech to infants.

We examined the functions of mothers' speech to infants during two tasks - book-sharing and bead-stringing - in low-income, ethnically diverse families. Mexican, Dominican, and African American mothers and their infants were video-recorded sharing wordless books and toy beads in the home when infants were aged 1;2 and 2;0. Mothers' utterances were classified into seven categories (labels/descriptions, emotion/state language, attention directives, action directives, prohibitions, questions, and vocal elicitations) which were grouped into three broad language functions: referential language, regulatory language, and vocalization prompts. Mothers' ethnicity, years of education, years living in the United States, and infant sex and age related to mothers' language functions. Dominican and Mexican mothers were more likely to use regulatory language than were African American mothers, and African American mothers were more likely to use vocalization prompts than were Latina mothers. Vocalization prompts and referential language increased with mothers' education and Latina mothers' years living in the United States. Finally, mothers of boys used more regulatory language than did mothers of girls. Socio-cultural and developmental contexts shape the pragmatics of mothers' language to infants.