Say it with Pictures: An Introduction

Emily Hemingway - 3/25/2019

What happens when a child holds a picture card in his or her hand?

Everything slows down.

It brings focus to a picture that becomes an image in the mind. The rest of the environment becomes a little quieter. With attention on the image, there is time for the child to process and make connections. The image may be familiar or something new and interesting. Perhaps it depicts an action or stirs an emotion. When the child understands the message of the image on the card, instantly there is shared meaning with another person. The child can receive a message and they can express their own feelings, thoughts, wants, and needs.

Pictures and symbols are a universal means of communication.

Like traffic signs, picture cards can be a reminder for a child. A child can use a picture to send their own message about preferences and boundaries that can be understood by peers or adults.

According to MIT researchers,

half of the human brain is devoted directly or indirectly to vision.

I have a three month old son who becomes instantly engaged when we open a book with pictures. His little arms and legs cease their wiggling and his eyes scan across the pages, soaking in the illustrations. He is focused and is brain is making new connections and strengthening old ones. He reminds me of the power of sight to comprehend the images that become the illustrations in the stories of our lives.

All for now

Emily
Resource: http://news.mit.edu/1996/visualprocessing