Visual aids have been used in literacy education for as long as humans have been reading. From the bright and cheery illustrations in children’s books to the detailed graphs in research papers, visual aids explain concepts and stories to aid our understanding of the written word.
During your child’s early literacy education, there’s a time and place for visual aids. How do they help children learn to read? Can visuals improve overall reading comprehension for all ages? Let’s consider the role of visuals in literacy education, looking at what evidence-based reading instruction reveals about the advantages and potential limitations.
What are Visual Aids in Reading?
In reading, visual aids involve any graphical, non-text elements that complement the meaning of a text. Types of these visual supplements include:
- Illustrations: Artistic representations of story scenes or characters (photos, drawings, designs, etc.)
- Graphs: Visual expressions of numerical data
- Charts: Organized information displays
- Diagrams: Simplified informational drawings explaining structures or processes
All of these visual aids help readers interpret, clarify, and expand on the information in a text. When children are learning to read, developmentally appropriate visuals are important as they help make abstract ideas more tangible, helping them visualize storylines and new concepts.
Visuals can enhance reading comprehension in several ways when used effectively and early.
- Vocabulary growth: Visual representations help children grasp and remember the meaning of new words more easily.
- Conceptual understanding: Abstract ideas become more concrete through visual representation.
- Engagement: Visual elements can make reading more enjoyable, encouraging deeper interaction with the text.
It’s important to incorporate visuals in reading instruction that do not replace word-reading (decoding) skills. If children rely on guessing words based on the pictures in the text, they will later struggle with more challenging texts that do not have images.
Visuals and the Science of Reading
Visual learning is an important aspect of the science of reading—the current body of evidence that explains how the brain effectively learns to read. Different parts of the brain process visual information and language sounds, and both play large roles in reading. However, the different parts of the brain that process language sounds and visual symbols must be directly trained to connect because it’s not a natural process.
In short, visual aids are crucial for early literacy. People technically learn to read by learning to decode text. But there are a lot of complex processes that happen to achieve this task.
First, a child must be aware of phonemes (the sounds of language) and be able to manipulate speech sounds to communicate with others. They must have a growing vocabulary to know what words mean. They then must be taught how to associate speech sounds with alphabetical letters (learning the ABCs) and then begin decoding beginner-friendly words they know the meaning of.
Through lots of practice and explicit teaching, reading words eventually generates mental images and comprehension. This is how we understand and retain information. Visuals assist this gradual, instructional process by giving children images that explain the text, freeing some of their cognitive load to begin comprehending and understanding.
The Importance of Visuals for Pre-Readers
Pre-readers—children four and younger—need visual illustrations to make sense of their earliest literacy experiences. Parents and families use picture books to introduce babies and toddlers to the world of print. Book illustrations help captivate young children’s attention spans, communicating concepts visually before children have a well-developed vocabulary.
As toddlers and preschoolers learn pre-reading skills, visuals guide the process, connecting words with their proper meanings. Before children can derive meaning from words in print, they must interpret the meaning of pictures and symbols. They must also grasp concepts of print, which is the understanding that books, signs, symbols, and other printed material in the child’s everyday life contain meaning and usefulness.
Visuals and Evidence-Based Reading Instruction
There is much evidence that systematic, explicit instruction is most effective in teaching children to read. The science of reading acknowledges the value of visual aids for pre-readers, beginner readers, and struggling readers.
Visuals support children during their introduction to stories, books, and letter-sound relationships. We know that the “A for ‘apple’” and “S for ‘snake’” are common associations that help kids learn unfamiliar letter sounds—they identify the beginning sounds of words they already know in real life. Using keyword visuals in the shape of a letter is called an Embedded Picture Mnemonic. These exercises can enhance phonemic awareness.
That said, when taken too far, visuals can cause setbacks for children learning to read. While images and visual aids can complement instruction, they should not replace explicit teaching of letter sounds and decoding. Visuals shouldn’t be used as a crutch for readers.
The common practice of providing visual “context cues” (also known as the three cueing system) for children can be detrimental to literacy development. Struggling readers might rely on visuals to guess what words are on the page, when in fact they need to learn foundational skills such as blending and decoding. If a child’s reading difficulties are unnoticed or unaddressed, it can negatively impact their reading abilities and academic progress. Therefore, it’s discouraged to rely on visuals as “clues” to have children make a guess as to what a word could be.
Effective Implementation of Visual Aids
Visuals can support reading experiences in different settings. In the classroom, teachers can use them properly to support group instruction and individual practice. At home, parents can use picture books, posters, and a visually rich environment to encourage reading practice. Digital platforms also incorporate visual elements to provide interactive lessons and enhance the reading experience.
To maximize benefits while minimizing drawbacks, you can prioritize:
- Age-appropriate selection: Match the complexity of visual aids to the child’s reading level and cognitive development.
- Thoughtful integration: Use visual aids to support, not replace, text-based learning.
- Technology: Digital platforms can offer interactive visual aids that adapt to a child’s learning pace.
Educators can assess the effectiveness of visual aids through comprehension quizzes, reading fluency tests, and observational assessments of a child’s engagement with the text.
Early Reading Activities With the Right Visual Aids
When used judiciously, visual aids and illustrations can enhance reading comprehension. From supporting early literacy development to deepening our understanding of complex concepts, visual aids help people make sense of the information in print. However, we must remember to incorporate visual aids as part of a comprehensive approach to reading instruction, and not rely too heavily on visual cues that act as a “crutch” to replace word reading skills.
As reading science continues to evolve, visual aids continue to play a significant role in the classroom and at home. By recognizing both their advantages and limitations, we can use these aids to support children’s development into confident, skilled readers.
Every child’s learning journey is unique. At Reading.com, we’re committed to providing diverse tools and fun strategies that equip your child with early reading instruction. Check out the Reading.com app which uses visual aids to help beginner readers decode new words and puts foundational reading skills to practice without relying on illustrations. Try the app for free today!