Reluctant readers may have a difficult time with writing. Because they have not mastered reading fluently yet, they may lack the confidence necessary to write a story. So, what is my secret to teaching writing to struggling students? It is to share a visually rendered narrative with them. The easier term for this type of book is a wordless picture book. Even though there are no words included in these types of books, the illustrations tell the story beautifully through the students’ use of inferring skills and context clues. Join us as we explore how to teach writing with wordless picture books.
Words Seem to Magically Flow
If I can teach my students to create a story with only illustrations first, much like a visually rendered narrative, then the addition of words later seems to flow magically from them. Additionally, they feel less intimidated by the writing process. The hard part of creating the story is over because the story has been created through illustrations even if the words aren’t down on the paper or the screen yet. After the students have laid the groundwork of the character, setting, and plot development through illustrations, they are more at ease at this point, knowing the hardest part of creating ideas is over. Now, they only have to officially write the words to accompany the illustrations they have already created.
Canva and Narrative Writing
How can students create such a book in the short amount of time educators are given to actually teach writing? Students can use Canva to first create a story visually and then the words will simply flow. To read more about this whole process, please visit our blog post, Canva and Narrative Writing.
However, before one is to teach with this method, the students need to see the magic behind a visually rendered picture book first to understand this idea of writing. Wordless picture books are less intimidating as models of writing to reluctant readers since there are no words. Wordless picture books grasp the attention of students as they have the chance to focus solely on one thing: the illustrations. Using the pictures, they can interpret the story through the filter of their own thoughts. Wordless picture books open up a world of reading and writing to struggling students.
Caldecott Medal and Honor Books
There are so many awesome visually rendered picture books to share. Many are winners of the Caldecott Medal and Honor Books.
A Caldecott Medal is an annual prize awarded by the American Library Association (ALA) to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. Officially known as the Randolph Caldecott Medal, it was named in honor of the 19th-century English illustrator, Randolph Caldecott. Established in 1938, the award recognizes the artist of the book’s illustrations, not the author, unless the author is also the illustrator. The Caldecott Medal and Honor books are highly regarded in the field of children’s literature and are often used as a guide by librarians, educators, and parents when selecting books for children.
We have included a list of 8 such books to help you with this endeavor. Please enjoy.
The Lion & the Mouse (Caldecott Medal Winner), by Jerry Pinkney
Publisher’s Synopsis:
In award-winning artist Jerry Pinkney’s wordless adaptation of one of Aesop’s most beloved fables, an unlikely pair learn that no act of kindness is ever wasted. After a ferocious lion spares a cowering mouse that he’d planned to eat, the mouse later comes to his rescue, freeing him from a poacher’s trap. With vivid depictions of the landscape of the African Serengeti and expressively-drawn characters, Pinkney makes this a truly special retelling, and his stunning pictures speak volumes.
Flotsam, by David Wiesner
Publisher’s Synopsis:
A bright, science-minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam–anything floating that has been washed ashore. Bottles, lost toys, small objects of every description are among his usual finds. But there’s no way he could have prepared for one particular discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share . . . and to keep. In each of his amazing picture books, David Wiesner has revealed the magical possibilities of some ordinary thing or happening–a frog on a lily pad, a trip to the Empire State Building, a well-known nursery tale. This time, a day at the beach is the springboard into a wildly imaginative exploration of the mysteries of the deep, and of the qualities that enable us to witness these wonders and delight in them.
Journey (Caldecott Honor Book), by Aaron Becker
Publisher’s Synopsis:
A lonely girl draws a magic door on her bedroom wall and through it escapes into a world where wonder, adventure, and danger abound. Red marker in hand, she creates a boat, a balloon, and a flying carpet that carry her on a spectacular journey toward an uncertain destiny. When she is captured by a sinister emperor, only an act of tremendous courage and kindness can set her free. Can it also lead her home and to her heart’s desire? With supple line, luminous color, and nimble flights of fancy, author-illustrator Aaron Becker launches an ordinary child on an extraordinary journey toward her greatest and most exciting adventure of all.
Float, by Daniel Miyares
Publisher’s Synopsis:
A little boy takes a boat made of newspaper out for a rainy-day adventure. The boy and his boat dance in the downpour and play in the puddles, but when the boy sends his boat floating down a gutter stream, it quickly gets away from him. So of course, the little boy goes on the hunt for his beloved boat—and when the rain lets up, he finds himself on a new adventure altogether. This seemingly simply story from Daniel Miyares is enriched with incredible depth and texture that transcend words.
Wolf in the Snow (Caldecott Medal Winner), by Matthew Cordell
Publisher’s Synopsis:
A girl is lost in a snowstorm. A wolf cub is lost, too. How will they find their way home? Paintings rich with feeling tell this satisfying story of friendship and trust. Wolf in the Snow is a book set on a wintry night that will spark imaginations and warm hearts, from Matthew Cordell, author of Trouble Gum and Another Brother.
I Walk With Vanessa, by Kerascoët
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Inspired by real events, I Walk with Vanessa explores the feelings of helplessness and anger that arise in the wake of seeing a classmate treated badly, and shows how a single act of kindness can lead to an entire community joining in to help. By choosing only pictures to tell their story, the creators underscore the idea that someone can be an ally without having to say a word. With themes of acceptance, kindness, and strength in numbers, this timeless and profound feel-good story will resonate with readers young and old.
Chalk, by Bill Thomson
Publisher’s Synopsis:
This stunningly illustrated wordless picture book tells the story of three children who find a bag of magical chalk at the playground on a rainy day. Their drawings come to life, which seems great when a drawing of the sun stops the rain but is scary when a dinosaur stalks them. A drawing of a rain cloud inside a play tube brings the rain back and dissolves the frightening creature. This imaginative story is the perfect showcase for Thomson’s extraordinary pictures. Though they look like photos or computer-generated images, each one is actually composed using traditional techniques with acrylics and colored pencils. The artist’s clever use of light, perspective, and expression, along with the protagonists’ neat solution to their dilemma, creates a completely satisfying experience. Thomson is a master at visual storytelling.
The Umbrella, by Dieter Schubert
Publisher’s Synopsis:
A little dog finds an umbrella in the garden on a windy day. The moment the dog picks up the umbrella, it catches the wind and pulls the dog skywards. This is the start to fantastic journey around the world. The wind carries the umbrella and the dog all over the world, from the desert to the sea, from the jungle to the north pole.
Conclusion:
Visually rendered narrative books are a great way to teach writing. They also help reluctant readers understand the concept of a story without using words. Wordless picture books can also be utilized by an ELL student trying to grasp the perspective of a story without the pressure of reading in a different language. Plus, I love these types of books because each student seems to have a different perspective as they interpret the story through the pictures. Furthermore, when used with writing instruction, allowing the student to create a visually rendered narrative first. This method is less intimidating than staring at a blank page. Visually rendered narratives can spark the magic of storytelling within students.
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