Points to discuss for the importance of illustrations and pictures in comparison to the written word
- consider how illustrations can communicate ideas and concepts as much as the written word can
- explore areas where illustrations/pictures are more or less effective than the written word
- make a judgement, based on a consideration of the evidence and argument put forward.
- the evident pleasure children take in the illustrations in so-called ‘picture books’
- the damage that might be done by encouraging children at an early stage to be wary of illustration
- the richness of language used in interpreting illustrations and pictures
- how difficult or painful ideas can be expressed in illustration
- how the illustrations that accompany poems, stories and plays increase enjoyment and appreciation
- interpretation of paintings demands an eye for detail and mood
- how body language needs to be read visually and is often subject to misinterpretation
- graphic novels, and comics, rely on the visual as well as the written to convey ideas and subject matter.