“TELL ME A STORY”.
Dear families:
In our meetings at the beginning of the school year, we emphasized the importance of reading from a very early age. Encouraging the habit of reading from early childhood is a duty of both parents and educators. There are many reasons to consider that reading at this age is not only gratifying, but also necessary. Listening to a story is a game for them, moreover, they will learn and discover the world around them in a climate of affection, since it is a unique moment between the adult and the child. PLAY, LEARNING and AFFECTION: 3 fundamental pillars on which the development of your children is based.
To create the habit of reading in children from 0 to 3 years old, we only have to do the same as we do to create any other habit, we must repeat and be constant, only with repetition is the habit achieved. To achieve this we must know the optimal conditions:
- Find the right moment to read a story. It should be an act in which the child is calm and relaxed, but not tired and has a good predisposition to listen. I recommend, for example, the moment before going to bed, so that the story becomes part of your daily routine.
- To create an affectionate and relaxing environment. Physical attitudes are important: sitting next to him or sitting on our lap, hugging him, even picking up a book and sharing it with him.
- Knowing how to choose the book. Not just any book will do, we must take into account the age of the child, the evolutionary stage he/she is in and of course his/her preferences. We must know what interests him/her, what worries him/her, what amuses him/her, etc.
- Respect their limited attention span and need for movement. This is also related to the previous point, since the attention span of an 8-month-old baby is not the same as that of a 2-year-old child. We must know how to identify the moment when they are tired of listening to us and not force the situation. We must keep in mind that reading should be something pleasant.
- Enjoy the moment. When we talk about little “readers” we take for granted that your children do not know how to read, but it is not necessary to know how to read to enjoy a good read. You are the channel between a great story and your children. If they see you enjoy telling a story, they will inevitably enjoy it too.
WHICH BOOKS ARE THE MOST SUITABLE ACCORDING TO AGE?
Up to 6 months: Soft, cloth or plastic books that they can explore, touch, suck, bite, etc. since they are in an evolutionary moment in which they discover everything through their mouths, it is important that they do not run any risk. The first narrations through nursery rhymes, lullabies, lullabies, nursery rhymes, nursery rhymes, etc. are also important. Bright colors will attract their attention but at this age we must take into account the contrasts, a black and white book could also be striking. Musicality, rhythm, gestures, caresses, words of affection and the tone of voice adopted by the adult are very important at this stage.
From 6 to 12 months: At this stage, exploration books (book-toys) come into play. Books made with resistant materials that are easy for them to handle, with realistic and colorful images that are part of their daily life (faces, body parts, means of transportation, animals) and their environment. It is also important that they contain different textures, colors, even noises, as this will attract their attention. The time for the story should not exceed 5 minutes.
From 1 to 2 years: It is time to expand their library with books of different sizes and formats, with varied themes and related to their concerns according to the moment. Books with many images that allow them to make an interpretive reading, so we will facilitate the narration and they will be able to follow the story more easily. It is still important to choose books with textures, bright colors, books with windows or tabs for them to participate, open and discover. They also love pop-up books, pop-up books, books with buttons that produce sound when pressed, etc. They will be able to stay attentive for 5-10 minutes maximum.
From 2 to 3 years old: The child begins to enjoy sequenced readings more. It is important that you go little by little, you can tell them a part of the story the first day and add part of the content progressively. At this stage they already feel part of the story, during the reading there may be dialogues, questions and they may even want to tell the story themselves when we finish. It is time for them to give free rein to their imagination, reading is a great injection for creativity. It is a good time to introduce books that talk about their physical and emotional development, since they are in an evolutionary moment of great changes. Also books about autonomy, that help them to eat on their own or leave the diaper for example. At this stage you will notice that they are already able to enjoy story time for 10-15 minutes. It is important to respect the rhythms of each child, as well as their preferences. All this information is for guidance only, as I always say, each child has his own rhythm.
10 TIPS FOR TELLING A STORY
- READ IT SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE PRESENTING IT TO THE CHILD
- MENTALLY ORDER THE SEQUENCES
- IDENTIFY THE MOMENT OF “TENSION” TO ENHANCE IT AND CAPTURE THE CHILD’S ATTENTION.
- SUPPORT YOU WITH: PUPPETS, INSTRUMENTS, MIRRORS, SURPRISE BOXES, MUSIC, ETC.
- ALWAYS INVITE TO PARTICIPATE
- USE A FORMULA TO BEGIN AND TO END: “ONCE UPON A TIME…” AND “COLORÍN COLORADO…”. AND “COLORÍN COLORADO…”
- MAKE USE OF ONOMATOPOEIAS, PAUSES AND SILENCES, RHYTHMS, CHANGE OF VOICE REGISTER, ETC.
- MOVE IN SPACE, MOVE YOUR BODY AND GESTICULATE A LOT.
- EXAGGERATE, EXAGGERATE A LOT.
- AND THE MOST IMPORTANT: ENJOY. IF YOU ENJOY YOURSELVES, THEY WILL TOO.
LIST OF RECOMMENDED STORIES
Animals of the garden. Catapulta Publishing House
Animals of the forest. Catapulta Publishing House
Animals. Editorial Combel
Colors. Editorial Combel
Good night teddy bear. Editorial Base
Berta the whale and Arturo the fish. Editorial Óceano (for bathing)
Ernestina the hen. Óceano Publishing House
From the cradle to the moon collection. Kalandraka Publishing House
EMMA Collection. Editorial Lóguez
LUCIÉRNAGA Collection. Editorial Edelvives.
PIkinini Collection. Editorial Ekaré
CARACOLES Collection. Editorial OQO
If I were a lion. Editorial Lóguez
From one to ten. Editorial Combel (pop-up)
Colorful surprises. Editorial Combel (pop-up)
Small hole. Editorial Lóguez
The book of noises. Corimbo Publishing House
The little greedy caterpillar. Editorial Kókinos
Guess how much I love you. Editorial Kókinos
A que sabe la luna. Editorial Kalandraka
Let’s hunt a bear. Ekaré Publishing House
Goodnight Moon. Editorial Corimbo.
El Pollo Pepe. Editorial SM
The wolf is coming. Editorial Lóguez
The book that sleeps. Editorial Lóguez (to help them go to bed).
Good night, Pepe and Mila. Editorial SM (to help them go to bed)
The angry book. Editorial Lóguez (to manage tantrums).
Vaya Rabieta. Editorial Corimbo (to manage tantrums)
Fernando Furioso. Editorial Ekaré (to manage tantrums).
Can I look at your diaper? Editorial SM (for sphincter control)
I go to the bathroom alone. Editorial Timun Mas (for the control of sphincters)
Everyone goes. Editorial Edelvives (for sphinx control).
Where the monsters live. Harper Publishing House
The color monster. Editorial Flamboyant (to work on emotions).
The little red balloon. Kalandraka Publishing House
Cocorico. OQO Publishing House
I love you a lot. Bruño Publishing House
Chivos Chivones. Kalandraka Publishing House
Camuñas. Editorial OQO
Rainbow fish. Editorial Beascoa
The lion’s mask. OQO Publishing House
Five minutes of peace. Editorial Kalandraka
Shhhh we have a plan! Editorial Milrazones
A book. Editorial Kókinos
Pink Monster. Editorial Apila
I’m going to eat you! Editorial Kókinos
Topito earthquake. Editorial Beascoa
I love you (almost always). Editorial Timunmas
Remember that as someone very aptly said, “a child who reads, will be an adult who thinks”.
Aroa Vicente López
Educator CEI Hormiguitas
