Lilac Home Readers

Dear Parents, 

Your child has brought home their first home reader. It is a very exciting time as they continue on their reading journey. You may wonder why the book is wordless; this is a good question to raise, and we would like to explain the importance of this step when your child is learning to read. 

A well-rounded reader needs good comprehension skills. This includes remembering what has already happened and predicting what may happen next. These reading skills can be difficult for some children and sometimes take a while to establish. 

Wordless picture books are great for encouraging a child’s ability to infer what is happening in the story. With no words for guidance or distraction, they have to figure this out using only the illustrations and their imagination. This not only develops comprehension but also deepens their overall understanding of story structure and plot and develops their communication skills whilst broadening their vocabulary. 

Children need to practise retelling stories in interesting and exciting ways, practising new vocabulary and playing with words. Sharing a wordless book with your child lets you model storytelling techniques, making connections, predicting, and questioning. With consistent practice, children’s independent responses will become more natural and detailed. 

It is paramount you take the time to look through the book together, discussing the pictures and possible storyline. Give your child time to linger on the pages and plan their ideas and thoughts. After you have walked through the book together, ask your child to tell you the story, turning the pages themselves as they become the storyteller. On the first few occasions, you may need to role-model this with your child; your child’s class teacher will also be doing this with them in school. 

Any questions, please feel free to speak to your child’s class teacher, myself or Ms Coote. 

Kind Regards, 

Ciara Sasikumar

Early Years English and Discovery Curriculum Lead