The art of storytelling | How does this affect childhood development?

Studies have shown communication and language skills in early years children are still being impacted by the Coronavirus Pandemic; that's why it's more important than ever to spend quality time with your little ones. You can promote back-and-forth conversations with your children by engaging them in regular reading sessions.

On September 6th National Read a Book Day will be in full flow, and this is an ideal opportunity to remind ourselves of the importance and impact reading and sharing stories has on children in their early years.  The current waiting list for speech and language support can range from between 9 and 12 months, so it's important to support children at home and in settings. 

Reading Regularly can improve outcomes for children

The more we engage and create language-rich opportunities, the better the outcomes for young children.  Sharing stories encourages thinking, sharing ideas, exposes children to a new vocabulary, gives children a  greater understanding of the world around them, and promotes imagination skills.  It is known that children who participate in reading have a larger vocabulary and that reading can support self-esteem, understanding of feelings and emotions,  as well as people places, and relationships. When starting school if a child has had lots of exposure to pre-literacy skills and experiences it really helps them for future school success and throughout later life.

Make storytime engaging

Children who listen to stories also develop greater concentration and focus skills especially if the adults bring those stories to life by incorporating character voices, and props to encourage interaction and questioning from children.  Supporting that important back-and-forth engagement children need to experience from birth to promote interaction and speech and language development.

Give children a wide range of reading material

Make sure whether at home or in a setting children have access to a wide range of books, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry and rhymes, and picture books.  This can be an inexpensive opportunity by buying second-hand, from charity shops or simply using your local library.  Lots of settings also have lending libraries, encouraging children and parents to borrow books, to read in the comfort of their own homes. 

Here are some top tips from Busy Bees Childcare on sharing stories with children: 

Here at Busy Bees Training, we're passionate about developing world-class professionals and offer a wide range of CPD courses, apprenticeships, and free webinars.  Explore how you can improve and promote outcomes for children in everyday practice by taking a course on our VLA (Virtual Learning Academy)