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Montessori picture book: why adhere to it and which one to choose?

by | Mar 16, 2021 | Parents, Pedagogy Parents

Montessori picture book, what is it? What is the interest? Where to find it? Kidlee tells you everything in this article!

What is a Montessori picture book?

First of all, what is a picture book? A picture book is a collection of photographs or drawings presenting items with their names. In order for children to become aware of the world around them: what they eat, where they are, what they see ... In addition, it allows them to put a name on objects, food, clothing ... And enrich their vocabulary.

Around 18 months, the consciousness of the little ones begins to develop. They begin to differentiate and characterize the real world and its representation. They will therefore be able to distinguish images and recognize these items in everyday life.

The baby picture book is one of the first books to put in your baby's library. Indeed, it is not only the books ofstories that help the child's development.

On this subject, discover our articles :

Why join? 

The imaginary book is an indispensable tool for developing the child's symbolic thinking. It refers to the ability to represent and interpret what surrounds them. The first imagiers were designed to list everyday objects. There are also themed imagiers: animals, nature, house... 

The work of the picture book on the child revolves around observationthe understanding and the memorizationbut not only! Because it also raises awareness of written language. He then discovers that there is a link between words and objects. 

Little by little, between the ages of 1 and 3, the child builds his vocabulary. He learns more and more words. Because the picture book allows him to learn new words, but above all toorali.e. the pronunciation and of course the understanding.

Reading a picture book with your baby is to accompany him to his language development and sounds. It is also to direct its attention to one image at a time. To arouse his interest and develop its symbolic thought. You can also play many fun mini-games with the nomenclature cards. Find a selection of mini-games here.

Learning new words, associating them with visuals, is good! But memorizing all this is better! That's why many of the picture books are in the form of index cards, encouraging memory games and manipulation. It is a complete language support! 

As the child evolves and grows, you can always use the picture books as a way to practice reading!

Picture book for learning a new language

Given the effectiveness of imagiers in enriching babies' vocabulary, it is also possible to use children's imagiers to help them discover another language! Always the same principle: recognize the name of the objects, the writing of the word and the pronunciation. It can also be a great exercise to play memory games in this context.

Read our article :

Babysitting: 6 games to teach children English!

Which one to choose? 

In addition to the different themes of the imagiers, there are also different formats. It can be a book or a booklet. But also a box with picture cards inside.

The book can be illustrated with photos, drawings, 3D illustrations, silhouettes... The material used differs as well and aims to be a tactile book: foam, cardboard... 

If you choose a picture book, then it is best to choose the simplest one. With clear pictures and pages that are not too busy. The child should not get lost in it! 

Next, go for strength and durability. Imaginers should be easy to handle and durable! Also favor illustrations that are close to reality. Photos rather than drawings. Otherwise, very realistic drawings. Always to facilitate the understanding and recognition of the words of the objects that the child assimilates. 

There are several kinds of fun imagers: picture imagers, word imagers, sound imagers (with animal sounds, for example)... 

As we already know, the Montessori method encourages children to be independent and responsible. With Montessori imagiers, babies can become interested in language by having fun recognizing the illustrations and trying to imitate the sounds and words they hear. 

Card-shaped imagers can be classified images (classified cards). Or nomenclature cards. The difference between the two will be the writing of the word underneath. In other words, the classified pictures do not have words written on them, but the nomenclature cards do. Both types of picture books are language materials used in Montessori education. 

In other words, the images respect the criteria of the Montessori pedagogy :

  • White background
  • Large enough for the child to see the details,
  • Realistic and fully represented objects.

Discover the Montessori method through our articles :

Where to find it? 

Book My Montessori Imaginarium

My Montessori Imaginarium
Oxybul

THE reference box to learn the first words and their spelling, according to the Montessori pedagogy. Illustrated by Emmanuelle Tchoukriel.

150 cards on 5 themes (forest animals, vegetables, flowers, birds and insects). And a booklet for parents that presents the material and explains how to use it. Order it by clicking here.

Balthazar's Montessori Imaginarium

Balthazar's Montessori Imaginarium
Fnac

A first imagier to accompany the child from 1 to 6 years. More than 450 realistic images to name and classify each thing in the world into categories, according to the pedagogy of Maria Montessori. Balthazar's imagier exists in several themes in order to teach a maximum of words to children and to accompany them in their awakening! Order the here.

Montessori printable picture book

Montessori printable picture book
Pinterest

You can even have your own imagier Montessori at home. In particular by printing and laminating many freeMontessori inspiration at home. You can find several types of cards to print. It's up to you to choose the theme you want your child to discover. Find the cards of nomenclature here.