Do children need more or less stimuli to learn something new? Scientists in the field of pedagogy analyze this because it is proven that the more senses we use, the better we remember.
When it comes to teaching your little brother new words, it is useful to read aloud to him, because that way the child can both see and hear at the same time. The children’s book industry makes heavy use of fun, colorful illustrations.
One picture is better than two
Research l , on the other hand, revealed that it can pay to reduce the number of images so that the young brains do not become overloaded. At least as far as language acquisition is concerned.
The study involved reading children’s books aloud to three-year-old children. It was found that children who were read a book with only one picture open learned half as many words as children who were given a book with two pictures open.
Less is more
Many children’s books are decorated with colorful, eye-catching pictures, and they can also be very entertaining. However, if you look at the didactic value of those books, it is more beneficial to have one picture open, and it should preferably be as natural as possible.
Namely, other studies have shown that additional entertainment in the form of special tabs or pictures of animals dressed as people (a very popular image in children’s literature) reduces children’s language ability.
For those who want to read books that include lots of imaginative pictures, however, researchers have found a simple tip. Point to the picture that shows exactly the text being read. In this way, the child knows which image to focus on and can combine the visual impressions with what he hears.
