Story Wednesday's
At Busy Bee, every day of the week has a different and fun learning centre. On Wednesdays, the children are treated to a long storytelling. Usually, our daily circle times do allow for a few quick stories to be told, but on Wednesdays, we really take our time with it.
Storytelling is a wonderful activity and not only is it a great way to spark imagination, but it also stimulates curiosity in children. Through storytelling, we begin to introduce visualization and help foster an interest in creative thought.
Storytelling also helps children focus while listening. They become used to respecting the storyteller and broaden their vocabulary as well by listening to new words. A great aspect of children’s books is that most stories already incorporate high frequency words and sight words perfect for their age.
On Story Wednesdays, children are also asked to answer questions about the stories and this helps with their comprehension skills as well. It is a great way to incite a thirst for knowledge and to feed their inquisitive minds.
Of course, storytelling doesn’t end at school. We highly recommend implementing your own storytelling time at home. Here are some tips on creating a fantastic reading ritual to help your child begin the road to reading.
Tips:
#1: Set up a reading time: This could be right before bedtime or after dinner. When your child is used to this routine, they will begin to expect it, enjoy it and look forward to it.
#2: Ask questions: Make sure to stop now and then while reading and ask questions about the story. They could be simple ones like, “What colour is this?” to more complex ones like, “Why did the character do that?” Asking questions really gets your child involved in the reading process.
#3: Create a library: Create a space where your books are kept properly. Teach your children to respect books and objects so that you may use them again and again. This will also show them that books are important and we should take proper care of them.
#4: Go book shopping: Along with your child, browse book stores with them and buy books that are interesting (and age-appropriate) to them. It’s never too early to start encouraging a love of books.
#5: Have fun! Get into character while reading and act out scenes with your child. Play around with the story, create your own endings or create art projects based on the stories you read. Think of fun ways to engage your child so they can talk about the story with you.
We hope you find these tips helpful and create your own Story Routines at home!
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