This article presents an approach to use wordless picture books to enhance the language development of English language learners. This approach is grounded in best practices to teach ELLs. The process starts with viewing and analyzing the visual images, engaging ELLs in discussion, and ending with students' self‐authored texts. The wordless picture books contain all the literary elements and text structures that books with text have. Wordless picture books, without the language demands, invite ELLs to share the reading experience and to construct meaning from the viewing experience. Since wordless picture books vary in its complexity, booklist indicating level of complexity with annotations is provided for K‐5 students. Classroom discussion and writing samples are also included to demonstrate the four stages of this instructional approach.

Complexity in picture books is a quality shared between reader, text, and images. This article extends the CCSS model by providing a frameworkfor analyzing complexity in picture books.

Arabic is the second most common home language of English learners in the United States. Educators seek to design culturally sustaining pedagogy to develop Arabic‐speaking English learners’ English skills while nourishing their heritage language and affirming their culture's values. The authors report on a series of interviews with three Arabic mothers on their perceptions of North American and Arabic award‐winning picture books and their experience of reading with their children. Based on the analysis of the interviews, the authors put forward five culturally sustaining pedagogical possibilities.

No abstract