Reading scheme without pictures - does it exist?

[Munashe]

Need reading scheme suitable for my 5 year old son without pictures. He is sight reading but once we cover the pictures he really struggles with the words.

mrz I could never deny you your experience, but don't deny me mine...

I could read on school entry (decode, properly using phonics) as could my son. Both of us loved the pictures. Pictures books are many infants first experiences of books. Why deny them (us) the pleasure? It is a large part of what they like. Pictures go with text in books,newspapers, magazines, generally. As decoding skills develop, the text may take over somewhat, but not entirely.

Isn't something strange going on in this conversation. We seem to be developing an argument that illustrations are a bad thing and that can't be right. Doesn't it all boil down to a fundamental misunderstanding of what pictures are for? As far as I can tell they're to illuminate the story and make it look nice. There's nothing wrong with that.

Here is the link for piper book:www.piperbook.co.uk

They have books for every level, from the beginning to the advanced, for early reader to teenagers.

I do agree that picture are important, but in this early age, when we look at the 'picture books' (his school books) I do not mind if he does not concentrate on the reading part that much. I mean reading slowly, or not using different voice, or stop reading and looking the picture are ok. But when we read the piper books, where only limited picture in the book is, he can concentrate more on the reading side.

learnandsay rrbridgi Thank you, was part of what I was trying to say. Along with oral narrative being as different from using books with only text, as using books with pictures and text is (to using books with only text). That is oral narrative is not somehow superior to picture books, just different.

I agree using schemes with limited pictures does have its use. I just would not like to cut picture books out altogether, as they are a fundamental part of a child's early experience with books and learning to read.

Sorry the link is www.piperbooks.co.uk. I missed the s.

What I found better are books with one page text and one page picture. DD was able to enjoy the - often very lovely - illustrations but could also concentrate on the text.

I agree with daftdame's original comment (back on page 2 I think?) I think at this age it's really really important that reading is something he enjoys and finds pleasurable and pictures are a great way of making books with really very simple text more interesting.

OP how about stopping at the end of each page and picking out one or two words for him to decode and blend? (or you could do this once he's read the book all the way through) Start with simple ones to build his confidence. You could increase it over time.

daftdame I could also read long before I started school and my son could read fluently before nursery (although I'm afraid neither of us read books with pictures) but I am not going to claim that is representative of children nationally or even regionally.

I don't think anyone is arguing illustrations are a bad thing learnandsay

mrz Neither does paying more attention to illustrations mean that a child will need additional support with reading.

This, I feel, is a dangerous assumption to make when there are a whole host of people out there who are interested in looking at art. It doesn't mean they are more likely to have problems reading.

mrz Tue 11-Jun-13 21:11:59

"Pictures don't help children learn read. Illustrations are there to enhance the story not to provide clues for guessing what the text might say and of course illustrations don't stop just because a child can read at a certain level."

^With limited options for text, this can provide more incentive to read, as it allows for more of an interesting narrative. For example the text could simply read, 'Stop!', the picture says why.

...if the text is very limited because child is at a very early stage with their decoding there will be less opportunity to talk about narrative features.

They might be able to understand what the narrative features are, for example what 'setting' means (if explained) or an guilty expression on illustration of a face. However because they only are beginning to read they can not read words to describe this adequately.^

So in an indirect way I think illustrations do help children with reading. They help provide incentive to read and also provide more opportunity to introduce narrative features to the child (which is limited with very simple text).

daftdame no one has at any point suggested cutting out picture books altogether.

mrz Good. However I think you have to be careful when reading some of your posts, albeit in isolation, which seem to infer illustrations only cause problems.

and it isn't an assumption daftdame it is based on over 20 years experience of teaching children to read and working with those who struggle.

mrz An assumption in the sense it is anecdotal and not the conclusion of rigorous scientific research (where priors and variable are all acknowledged and noted).

mrz and then even if you are the statistical anomaly your experience is just as valid. You have just as much right to receive an education tailored to your individual needs and not have people make assumptions based on their extensive experience or otherwise.

I think you are the one making assumptions daftdame

daftdame, it's a fact - and we do know from research - that weaker readers over rely on picture cues.

Feenie that is only half the story. Do stronger readers also enjoy the pictures? Is distraction the issue not the illustration? Is there a causal link proven? etc etc

mrz I know I make assumptions, it is a fact of life.

We can not go about our everyday life or plan for anything without making assumptions.

I just try to recognise them and hopefully avoid too many absolute statements. I also expect people to pick me up on them when I do.

Then perhaps you will read back over this thread and recognise all the assumptions you have made throughout

Feenie that is only half the story. Do stronger readers also enjoy the pictures? Is distraction the issue not the illustration? Is there a causal link proven? etc etc

Those issues are surely only relevant when advocating taking the pictures away, which no one, including said researchers, is suggesting.

If we are talking about illustrations in the context of beginner readers as the OP is then the issue of stronger readers is not relevant either.