The importance of home languages in learning to read
We all have at least one language that we understand and communicate best in, although some of us may have more! People use different labels for this language − like “mother tongue” or “home language” − but it is the language we learnt first. It’s the language we think and feel in, the one in […]
Promoting literacy at home
What do you use reading and writing for? Do you use it mostly at work, to study or perhaps to organise and run your home life? You might even be lucky enough to find some time to relax and read too. Literacy is a right that should be enjoyed by all of us, but there […]
Home language and children’s development – what’s best?
With babies, young children, and even older children who have to learn through an additional language like English at school, it’s best to share books in the language or languages you speak at home with them. It takes many years to learn your mother tongue well, and reading and talking about books in your mother […]
How to get story-telling with your children
People have told stories for centuries to explore ideas and make sense of their experiences. In fact, sharing stories is as natural to human beings as eating and sleeping! Some of the stories we tell today have been passed down from generation to generation, while others are new ones that we create ourselves. Making time […]
How stories make children brainy
More and more adults are beginning to wake up to what a difference they can make in children’s lives when they read stories to them. They are offering them brain food! Great stories weave magic. When we read a story in which the character suffers pain or hardship, our hearts beat as fast as when […]
Exploring stories with children to increase reading comprehension.
Settling down with your children and a storybook is an excellent way to get to know one another and to have an enjoyable and satisfying time together. Exploring a story is much more than just reading the words on a page – it’s about taking a journey together as you think and talk about the pictures, events […]
Helping children cope by using the power of stories
Have you thought how stories can offer a way of supporting children through some of life’s challenges? As they grow, children are faced with a variety of situations. Some of these may be exciting, like making new friends. But very often they can be difficult and children may need your help. There are many wonderful […]
Why ‘pretend play’ is important for children to learn to read
Have you ever tried to stop children from using their imagination? It’s one of the hardest things in the world to do! But children are not the only ones that use their imaginations regularly. Adults do too! We use it every time we solve a problem, have an idea, enjoy reading, watch a movie, make […]
Should my child re-read storybooks?
What is the thing you enjoy doing most in your free time? Do you enjoy doing it again and again? Is there a book that you have read over and over again because it is so satisfying? Well, it’s completely natural for all adults and children to want to repeat things that give them pleasure […]
Easy ways to tell stories to children
People have told stories for centuries to explore ideas and make sense of their experiences. In fact, sharing stories is as natural to human beings as eating and sleeping! Some of the stories we tell today have been passed down from generation to generation, while others are new ones that we create ourselves. Making time […]
