The power of picture books for developing visual memory

As adults, it might not seem to be a difficult task to notice and remember several objects in a picture. In fact, we do it all the time probably without realising, but this is a skill which has been learnt and improved over time. Recent studies^[1] show this is not something we are born able to do, and your toddler will still be developing this skill. There is a simple way you can help them practise by noticing small details in picture books.  

Your toddler will now be able to focus on more of the smaller details in an image, perhaps spotting an animal or object that is hidden on the page (as long as the illustration is still fairly simple), rather than focusing only on the biggest or more central image.  

They might not always remember what is happening in the image around the main picture, however. This is a skill that they will be developing over the next few years, and one you can support them with.  

Look out for small details in picture books, and point them out to your toddler.  

When you read together, take time to talk about the images on the page and point out smaller details. Perhaps you will notice a cat in the corner of the scene and talk about what it is doing or what its name might be. See if your toddler spots the cat again on later pages.  

Some books are designed with hidden characters or objects to look for on each page; these are perfect for practising noticing small details that come up again and again.  

Try reading some wordless picture books. 

Some books are designed without any words at all letting the pictures tell the story. These are brilliant for you and your toddler taking time to study the detail in the pictures.  

Wordless picture books give your toddler lots of opportunity to talk about the smaller parts of the image, and can also let you adapt the story to match your toddler’s interests, keeping them focused for a little longer than they otherwise might be.  

Add a surprise picture to familiar stories – of your family! 

If you want to add some real joy to finding detail in pictures, you can make your own hidden character by printing a small photo of your toddler (or someone they love) and cutting them out. Add it into a scene in the book using Blu Tack® and wait for their excitement when the page is turned to reveal them alongside their favourite characters in the book!   

References: 

[1] Darby, K.P., Deng, S.W., Walther, D.B. and Sloutsky, V.M. (2021) ‘The Development of Attention to Objects and Scenes: From Object-Biased to Unbiased’. Child Dev, 92: 1173-1186.