Why is this literacy program called Pictures Are For Babies? Why does it eliminate visual supports so thoroughly? Because most reading programs today are built on shaky pedagogy, dressed up as games, or both. The research base behind Pictures Are For Babies doesn’t support these strategies. In fact, it clearly debunks them.
Reading is not a visual trick, a game, or a cartoon. It is a serious, learnable skill worth focused effort. What students need is a structured, rigorous education that guarantees mastery while respecting their time, effort, and intelligence.
Orthographic mapping is the process by which previously unfamiliar words become instantly recognizable. Its key components are:
Notice that no visual component is included in this list. The research has conclusively shown that visual memory of entire words plays no meaningful role in achieving orthographic mapping of thousands of words in fluent readers. This concept explains why the main cause of reading difficulties is deficits in phonemic awareness and letter-sound knowledge.
When phonemic awareness and letter-sound knowledge are taught explicitly and systematically, 90 to 95 percent of students can go on to read at grade level. The exercises to develop this awareness are sound-based and can be done with eyes closed. Even a small amount of phonemic awareness instruction can reverse years of failure caused by ineffective interventions. These results are not limited to young children: phonemic awareness is foundational to fluent reading at any age, and no alternative pathway has been shown to produce the same result.
Despite its central role and decades of empirical support, orthographic mapping remains misunderstood or neglected in most reading programs. Word-level reading is not the end goal of literacy instruction, but it is the foundation. Without fluent word recognition, students cannot devote the necessary cognitive resources to comprehension, writing, or critical thinking.
Therefore, the first reason for banning pictures is to align completely with the evidence. No amount of owls, cows, mice, games, or other distractions can replace effective and explicit instructions in the mechanisms supporting orthographic mapping. A more detailed explanation of this concept is available in the pedagogy section.
The second reason for banning pictures is to respect learners. For that reason, the ban goes further: all gamification tactics, flashy interfaces, and similar strategies are excluded as well. Pictures Are For Babies is built on the best research in expert performance and optimal learning. Instead of hacking motivation through superficial means, it fosters the conditions under which deliberate practice thrives.
None of this is to say that the goal is to push students to their limits or to strip all joy from reading. Rather, literacy is treated as a skill with intrinsic value that is worth focused, gentle effort. Pictures Are For Babies aims to be to literacy instruction what Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was to children's television: a place where children are never underestimated and treated as capable, curious learners.
The third reason for banning pictures and childish distractions is to make the program suitable for adult learners. Pictures Are For Babies goes far beyond typical literacy programs. It is designed to support all adults who are struggling with literacy or who want to master it at the highest levels. To meet this goal, the program must be appropriate for all ages. Given the lack of research support for pictures in orthographic mapping, and for gamification in optimal learning, the decision to remove them follows naturally.