Remediation of the picture‐text problem for learners exhibiting reading deficits

Lewis and team worked with kids who struggle to read.

They placed printed words right on top of pictures in storybooks.

Then they asked the kids to point to the words while they looked at the pictures.

The researchers compared this picture-plus-text method to plain text pages only.

They used an alternating-treatments design so each child tried both ways.

Kids learned to read the words just as fast with pictures as without them.

The children also said they liked the picture pages better.

No extra time was needed to fade out the pictures later.

Bondy et al. (2004) mapped how PECS uses pictures to build verbal behavior.

Lewis extends that idea by showing pictures can also give reading skills.

Piller et al. (2017) found book and tablet picture schedules teach tasks at the same speed.

Lewis mirrors this null result: adding pictures did not slow reading gains.

Frampton et al. (2023) showed drawing graphic organizers boosts adult learning.

Both studies embed prompts inside visual tools to lift performance.

You can keep the pictures in early reading lessons.

Children enjoy the pages more and still master the words on time.

Next time you run a reading program, try placing the text on top of fun images first.

Fade the pictures only if the IEP team insists; the data say it is not required.