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How does the use of a picture book stimulate a child’s imagination?
Most American schools have developed strong left-brain learning environments. History, math, and language arts are examples of concrete thinking that requires simple rote learning or practiced rote skills. This is a tragic state of education, as school after school continues to cut off right-brain learning pathways like art, music, and drama. These are the abstract, problem-solving, and imaginative stations of the child’s brain.
This minimization of abstract learning, combined with the instant entertainment of video games, software applications, and the time children spend texting can reduce their mind’s ability to think imaginatively.
It is difficult to convince an older child, who has already established patterns of dependency on the text, to pick up a book or draw a picture.
It’s easy to work with a young child, before they’ve been exposed to all the mind-numbing tech toys if parents start exposing their little ones to picture books from birth.
Picture storybooks are perfect for stimulating children’s imaginations and accelerating the early language learning process.
Picture books encourage imaginary pretend play
Few children will incorporate the character of an action figure that they have seen in a video game. However, a strong character featured in a picture book or simple children’s story will inspire more substantive adventures within private or social playtimes.
These children’s books stimulate your child’s imagination by providing persistent mental images. Children’s love of drawing, picture books provide shadow images within the child’s mind to help them develop their right brain drawing skills. The greater the exposure to these picture books, the greater their creative resources and imaginary adventures.
Picture Storybooks Fuel Excitement
Picture books feed the emotions that lead to the development of dreams and the direction of life. An image seen through an illustrated book can help bring out the innate passion in each child regarding their fears, personal achievements and goals related to understanding it. Imagination through visualization is the first step towards achievement. If a child can see how the picture book experience happens to him; like hitting a home run or singing a song on stage will go a long way in making this happen in her personal life.
Holistic Learning Benefits
The benefits of these books go beyond developing the imagination. They are perfect for strengthening an early foundation for language and logic.
A picture book provides the reinforcement to identify the first sounds before a child’s mind understands that those sounds make up words. Placing pictures with sounds accelerates subconscious understanding of tone, pattern, and reading through word and picture association. Picture books help toddlers and preschoolers develop more language skills through:
- Helps with story comprehension if not all the words are understood.
- Pictures offer reading clues when a child begins to practice reading
- They help develop a logical sequence of the story; every story needs a beginning, a middle and an end
The love a child feels when snuggling into an adult’s lap to share a storybook is unparalleled. These relaxed times are the best for a child to begin her imaginative learning in a nurturing and supportive environment.
Provide a double whammy of learning value with a personalized Photo album. These books quickly engage a child’s imagination by weaving them into the story. However, not just any personalized story will do, it must have quality content, relevant illustrations and a strong positive message. See example here.