Table of Contents
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase anything through them, I will get a small referral fee and you will be supporting me and my blog at no extra cost to you, so thank you! You can find more information here.
Key Literacy Skills You Can Teach with Picture Books
Picture books do more than tell a story—they build essential literacy skills. Whether you’re a teacher or parent, this guide shows how to use picture books to boost reading, writing, and thinking skills in fun, practical ways.
I used picture books in the classroom and the library throughout my 20 years of teaching. I want to share how you can use picture books to reinforce reading and language skills.
I will cover everything from early phonological awareness and print concepts to more advanced skills like making inferences and writing stories.
The strategies are practical, easy to apply, and work well with children of different ages and abilities.
You’ll find six core skill areas, tips you can use straight away, and picture book examples to introduce or reinforce the skills. You can jump straight to the section you are interested in by using the contents box above.
1. Phonological Awareness (Foundational Skill)
Recognising and playing with sounds—like rhyming, syllables, and alliteration—is key for early reading. Picture books for phonological awareness with rhythm, rhyme, and repetition help build these skills.
- Research connection: The National Early Literacy Panel (2008) highlights rhyme and rhythm as strong predictors of later reading success.
- Practical tip: Pick books with predictable rhymes or patterns. Pause during reading to let children join in or finish lines—they’ll start listening more closely to the sounds.
- Example: Reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom encouraged children to notice letter sounds and rhyme patterns, supporting early phonics skills. My students loved predicting rhymes and joining in, which helped sharpen their sound awareness.
Book suggestions:
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.: Alphabet rhyme and rhythm.
- Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson: Rhyme and repeated phrases.
- Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry: Rhyming with rich vocabulary and emotional depth..
2. Print Awareness and Concepts of Print (Foundational Skill)
Children need to learn how books work—things like reading left to right, page order, punctuation, and spotting features like titles and speech bubbles. Picture books for teaching print concepts often use layouts that make these elements easier to notice and discuss.
- Research Connection: According to the International Literacy Association, early exposure to print concepts is crucial for developing reading skills.
- Practical tip: During shared reading, guide children through the book’s structure. Point out how to follow the pages, where the speech is, and how punctuation helps us read with expression.
- Example: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Helped my students understand sequencing and cause and effect. Its layout gives opportunities to notice features like punctuation and print direction.
Book suggestions:
- Press Here by Hervé Tullet: An interactive book that draws attention to page order and cause and effect.
- Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems: Speech bubbles show dialogue.
- This Book Just Ate My Dog! by Richard Byrne: Explores book orientation and direction.
3. Vocabulary Development (Building Skill)
A strong vocabulary helps children understand harder texts and express themselves clearly. Vocabulary building picture books introduce new words in meaningful contexts.
- Research connection: Vygotsky’s theory highlights how talking with others helps build vocabulary. Reading Rockets also stresses that vocabulary teaching is essential in early literacy.
- Practical tip: Pause during reading to point out new or interesting words. Ask children to use them in their own sentences or link them to something they’ve experienced.
- Example: After reading The Word Collector, one child used the word torrential to describe the rain—showing she had understood and remembered it from the discussion.
Book suggestions:
- The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds: Celebrates diverse words and their meanings.
- My Heart by Corinna Luyken: Uses poetic, expressive language to build emotional vocabulary.
- Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett: Offers creative descriptions and conceptual language.
4. Comprehension and Inference (Developing Critical Thinking)
Understanding stories means paying attention to what’s said and what’s implied—reading between the lines. Comprehension books for children often leave gaps for children to fill in, helping them consider characters’ feelings, actions, and motivations.
- Research Support: The ILA highlights the importance of explicit comprehension instruction, including inference, as a key factor in reading success.
- Practical tip: Use open-ended questions like “Why did the character do that?” or “What might happen next?” to encourage deeper thinking. Ask children to explain their answers using clues from the story. Explore more inference questions.
- Example: In a group reading of Voices in the Park, students discussed how different characters experienced the same event in contrasting ways. One child noticed that the mother’s expressions and colours showed she was sad and lonely, even though the text didn’t say it.
Book suggestions:
- The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig: Encourages empathy and reading between the lines.
- Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne: Shows multiple perspectives of the same event.
- Tuesday by David Wiesner: A wordless book that challenges students to infer meaning from pictures alone.
5. Writing Connections (Creative Expression)
Picture books for teaching writing skills help children understand story structure, character development, and emotional tone. They provide excellent prompts for writing activities like retelling, changing the ending, or making up new stories.
- Research Support: The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) emphasizes connecting reading and writing to support creativity and narrative understanding.
- Practical tip: Ask children to draw and write about their favourite part of a story or create a different ending. Use story maps to help organise their thinking.
- Example: Journey by Aaron Becker prompted students to build their own illustrated stories, boosting sequencing skills and narrative confidence.
Book suggestions:
- Journey by Aaron Becker: A wordless book perfect for imaginative writing prompts.
- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak: Inspires expressive writing about emotions, imagination, and setting.
- The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt: Great for letter writing and voice.
6. Speaking and Listening (Oral Language Development)
Picture books that support oral language are ideal for storytelling, discussion, and drama. These activities help build expressive and receptive language.
- Research Support: Oral storytelling and group discussions significantly enhance both receptive and expressive skills, according to National Early Literacy Panel studies.
- Practical tip: Use puppets or props to retell stories. Small group role-play or guided discussion builds confidence.
- Example: Acting out We’re Going on a Bear Hunt gave shy children a structure to follow and helped them feel more confident speaking in front of others.
Book suggestions:
- We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen: Encourages dramatic retelling.
- I’m Sticking With You by Smriti Halls & Steve Small: Encourages dialogue and expressive reading.
- The Red Tree by Shaun Tan: Promotes discussion around abstract themes.
Implementation Tips
- Choose books with strong visual cues—ideal for EAL and SEND learners.
- Use story props or tactile items to support literacy instruction with picture books.
- Offer bilingual versions when possible.
- Adapt strategies to meet different needs.
Book Selection Note: The titles in this post were chosen for their rich language, inclusive themes, engaging illustrations, and proven effectiveness across varied literacy contexts.
Final Thoughts
Using picture books for literacy instruction works. What makes the difference is selecting the right book for each skill and ensuring active engagement.
Whether you’re teaching phonics, comprehension, or writing, picture books in literacy teaching offer powerful support.
Have you tried these strategies? I’d love to hear what’s worked—or not—in your setting. Drop your thoughts in the comments. Others will benefit, too.
Ideas of What to Read Next
- If you want to explore more books that support thinking skills, take a look at my post on growth mindset books for children.
- I also have tips for parents supporting literacy if you’re looking to build confidence at home.
- To support early reading skills, explore the stages of reading development.
- And if you’d like to build comprehension strategies, take a look at this post on how to teach inference.
