REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL WOOLLAHRA NEWSLETTER
Dee’s Message Dear Parents and Caregivers, As we celebrate Book Week in the ELS next week, it is worth remembering just how powerful reading is, not only because it allows us to slip away to wonderful worlds and meet interesting characters, but because it has the power to shape brains and develop our thoughts. One insightful person reminds us that “There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.” There is no doubt that childhood is a magical time when it comes to books. We can probably all think back to precious moments of being lost in a story – it truly is a gift which keeps on giving. We in the ELS know this only too well. Although the children might be very young, and most are still unable to read the words on the page, they are never too young to be introduced to the magic of storytelling. If there is one almost universal attribute which all humans seem to share, it is the love of stories. It is also true that “children are made readers on the laps of their parents” – and of their
19 August 2022 teachers, I should probably add. Because it is in the intonations of language, in our animated involvement in the story, and in our facial expressions that we introduce children to stories. There is something particularly special about watching the rapt focus on their faces when they become completely immersed in a story. It is no wonder then that young children will often ask for the same story to be read many times over. Because each time they are able to experience the same thrill, the same anticipation of what is to come – and the same delight in sharing a story with a significant adult in their lives.
The Early Years Learning Framework reminds us that engaging with various texts allows children to “listen and respond to sounds and patterns in speech, stories and rhymes in context” and it goes on to say that children should be able to “actively use, engage with and share the enjoyment of language and texts in a range of ways”. For both of these reasons, the more opportunities we can give the children to read, the better.
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | WOOLLAHRA NEWSLETTER
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