92% of pupils
improved their emotional wellbeing after using Books Beyond Words in schools.
“When I started at school, I was nervous, too shy. Not in my comfort zone. Now everyday I’m happy to be in school, ready to learn.”
One in five children and young people are thought to have a mental health problem.
- NHS England 2023
Children’s mental health is in crisis. Our 2024 study with ImpactEd found that using our word-free picture stories improved emotional wellbeing in 92% of pupils according to their teachers.
Our 2024 study found that, after using our resources in school:
Picture stories give young people a way to talk about things happening in their lives, or the lives of people around them, without having to talk about themselves. They are flexible and can be used in one-to-one settings, or within group settings to give pupils a safe space to discuss their life experiences with their peers.
The study also found that our resources are filling a gap in provision that is not met by other resources. They are highly adaptable to different school contexts, pedagogical practices and need, and are highly valued by the schools that use them.
Have questions about how introducing word-free picture stories could benefit your school? Get in touch.
About Open Book
We named our study the Open Book Project.
Benefit from the evidence we gathered
Research proves our word-free resources consistently:
empower children and young people to take control of their own feelings and behaviour
facilitate greater and deeper understanding of self and social context
build pupils’ emotional repertoire, insight and empathy
broaden pupils’ vocabulary and language skills
capture imagination and improve engagement in the classroom.
Resources tried, tested and recommended by teachers
Two 30-minute webinars from the Tes SEN Show explore the Open Book Project in more detail:
