Most children love to hear stories. Our tamariki are no different!
There is a gradual process by which children see that there is a definite relationship between the telling of a story and the written word. Eventually children will start to behave like readers, they will know that there is a sequence to a story, know that illustrations contain information about the story and will most importantly enjoy and read a range of picture and story books as they get older.
Harper is in our Matakauri room and loves nothing more than snuggling up on the couch and having a story. She will even bring books outside and find somebody to read to her. The book corner is a favourite spot, where she sits “reading” quietly to herself or out loud to anybody that wants to listen.
Earlier in the week we read a book together. “The Lamb who came to dinner.” (After escaping being the wolf’s tasty snack, the lamb and wolf enjoyed some yummy vegetable soup).
We discussed what soup we both enjoyed – she loved pumpkin she told me.
She is also showing a big interest in writing and loves to full pages with her “letters”, especially those she recognises from her name.
Today she arrived at preschool with a page full of “letters”. “This is the story about the pumpkin soup at the wolf’s house” she told me. She then went on to relay the story to me in her own words and tell me what she had written down! Music to a teachers ears.