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Beyond Words
Beyond Words is a charity that aims ‘to empower people through pictures’.
Beyond Words offer a range of different products and services some of which are paid for but a wide range of resources are available to download for free.
Introduction to Beyond Words
Founded in 1989, the Books Beyond Words series of picture stories grew out of research originating at St George's Hospital Medical School where Professor Sheila the Baroness Hollins worked as Professor of Psychiatry of Disability. She was looking for pictures to help people with learning disabilities to better understand and communicate their feelings around difficult events in their lives.
Books Beyond Words are their award-winning wordless picture stories covering topics including physical and mental health, lifestyle and relationships, abuse and trauma, grief and bereavement, employment, and criminal justice.
We all know that stories are a wonderful method of communicating information in an engaging, relevant, and memorable way. A narrative is a powerful way to learn, understand and remember important lessons. However, for some people written or spoken language is not accessible. Some people find pictures much more accessible and meaningful. Beyond Words produces picture stories which have no words on the page. There is a clear narrative to each story but the absence of words enables learners to tell their own story based on the pictures they see. This can tell you a lot about a person's inner world and their understanding of the situation.
What is Books Beyond Words?
Books Beyond Words are simple, accessible and flexible teaching resources, proven to engage children and support attainment whilst also developing their emotional wellbeing and resilience. Each story is co-created with and for people who find pictures easier to understand than words.
Introducing wordless stories into your classroom can support pupils across various areas of the curriculum in both mainstream and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) settings.
Watch the video to find out about the benefits of using Books Beyond Words to support social, emotional, and mental health topics with students in primary schools.
The Open Book Taster Pack
The Open Book Taster Pack is free to any school (teacher) who signs up via their BW Story App. The pack includes the following six titles, via the BW Story App, for three months.
Watch a webinar on the benefits of using Books Beyond Words to support social, emotional, and mental health topics with students in SEN settings.
Supporting children returning to school
Books Beyond Words have published two stories created by educators and children to support the mental health and wellbeing of pupils in the wake of coronavirus.
