Oh, this is my absolute favorite topic! Wordless books are magical for developing narrative skills because kids have to become the storytellers themselves. My go-to title is "Journey" by Aaron Becker. The illustrations are stunning, and there's so much happening on each page that every reading can be different. The prompt that really unlocked rich storytelling with my own kids was asking, "What do you think she's feeling right now?" instead of "What's happening?" Feelings-based prompts get kids to infer motivation and internal states, not just describe action. With my youngest, who was about four at the time, we'd also do a "noticing walk" through the book first. I'd ask her to point out small details, like the red crayon on the floor or the bird in the corner. Then, on the second read, those details became part of her story. She started making connections like "Maybe the bird is following her to help" or "She drew the door because she was lonely." That's inference in action, and it came from her, not from me telling her what the story meant. I also love doing different voices for different pages to model how tone and pacing change the narrative. Sometimes we'd tell it like an adventure story, sometimes like a quiet, reflective journey. It shows kids that the same images can support different storytelling styles.
Picture books without words are most effective when adults leave the storytelling to the children and they own their stories. The teachers in Sunny Glen Children Home tend to sit close to the pre readers and read one page at a time taking ample time to allow children to observe information by their own. The thinking remains on what they watch, what they believe is going on, as well as what could be next. Among the favorite titles there is Flotsam that opens the door to layered storytelling, but does not need any reading skills. The word that opens the narrative most is a simple word that is used everywhere in the book. What did you think had happened just before this picture? Those questions force kids to make guesses and chronicle events and think out loud. In a couple of sessions, children start to add their emotion, motive, and dialogue themselves. New images began to emerge and they begin revising previously held ideas. Such transformation reflects the increasing narrative control and elastic thinking, without any pressure. Wordless books allow children to have the freedom to trust their voice initially and this creates a solid lead in their future reading and writing.
Wordless picture books build oral narrative and inferencing skills by inviting children to describe images, sequence events, and explain characters' feelings and motives. Use short, consistent prompts that ask who is in the picture, what they are doing, why they might be doing it, and what comes next to guide responses without supplying the story. One favorite title is Tuesday by David Wiesner, whose surreal, detailed spreads prompt imaginative explanations and cause-and-effect reasoning. A simple prompt that often unlocked rich storytelling was: "Choose one character on this page and tell me where they just came from, how they feel, and what will happen to them next."
I use wordless books the same way I teach in the pool, we slow down, notice cues, and let the child lead, then I ask questions that pull meaning from facial expressions, body language, and cause-and-effect. My favourite is Wave by Suzy Lee, and the prompt that unlocks rich storytelling is: "What do you notice first, and what do you think the character is feeling, what in the picture makes you think that?"
I apply the same principle I use on my blog: choose wordless picture books whose images clearly reinforce a single idea so children are not overwhelmed by decorative detail. With those clear, sequential illustrations, I pause on each spread and invite pre-readers to describe what they see and put events in order to build oral narrative and inferencing. I favor titles that rely on simple, expressive images rather than busy compositions so young listeners can focus on cause, motive, and feeling. A prompt that consistently unlocked rich storytelling was: "Tell me what happened just before this picture, then tell what might happen next, and explain how the characters feel."
Wordless picture books build oral narrative and inferencing by asking pre-readers to “read” the images, name what they notice, and explain what clues led them there. I like using the illustration-first approach with In My Heart by Jo Witek, pausing on each spread so the child can describe what they think the character is feeling and why. My go-to prompt is, “What do you see on their face and in their body that makes you think that, and what do you think happened right before this picture?” From there, I invite kids to act out the emotion and compare how they and people they know look when they feel the same way. That simple routine turns observation into a clear story with evidence, sequence, and meaning.
At Advanced Professional Accounting Services, I'm always looking for innovative ways to develop skills like oral narrative and inferencing. One effective strategy I use for pre-readers is through wordless picture books. These books encourage children to tell their own stories based on the images, fostering creativity and critical thinking. The lack of text allows them to focus on visual clues and make inferences about the characters, setting, and events. One of my favorite wordless picture books is The Arrival by Shaun Tan. This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of an immigrant's journey, and it's filled with detailed, evocative images that prompt rich storytelling. The prompt I use to unlock the narrative is: "What do you think is happening in this picture? How do you think the character feels?" This simple yet open-ended question encourages children to infer emotions, motivations, and plot progression, leading to dynamic and imaginative storytelling sessions.
Using wordless picture books can effectively develop oral narrative and inferencing skills in pre-readers by creating an engaging storytelling environment. These books, like "The Arrival" by Shaun Tan, rely solely on illustrations, allowing children to interpret and narrate stories based on visual cues. This approach fosters creativity and language development, enabling children to infer emotions and construct their own narratives, supported by prompts like, "What do you think this character feels?"