Reading and viewing children’s picture books with grammar in mind

The chapter begins with an overview of what counts as reading in new times, extending the definition of reading to include viewing of visual texts. We then introduce a special type of children’s book, the post-modern picture book, and discuss how these texts make complex demands of the reader/viewer. Current curriculum in many Western nations directs teachers to scaffold young readers/viewers to come to know how the words and images in these texts work together to make meaning. We demonstrate five learning experiences where children’s picture books are used as the stimulus for teaching about the forms of language authors use so that their audience can make particular forms of meaning. We document three stages of a lesson plan where teachers introduce a technical language for reading and viewing with grammar in mind.