Learning and development: Then I'll begin...

You can bring out the book with the best intentions. You can introduce it with flair and excitement. But as soon as one child starts fidgeting, the others start fidgeting. It can happen in an instant and before you can turn the page, your quiet and attentive audience has turned into a chatting and distracted group. And once the story is interrupted, it’s sometimes tricky to get it back on track.

It’s important for children to participate in regular story times – both at home and at school. Books help us expand our minds and creativity. Reading together develops many skills including listening and concentration. Developing a love of books and reading in the early years will form the basis of learning throughout our lives. So how do we balance the challenges and the joys to end up with a fun and engaging read-aloud session? Well, here are some of my favourite tips.

Choose wisely

The best way to read aloud is to choose a book that matches the mood and the tone of the day. If you’re having a busy day overflowing with activities, it might be best to choose a book that will help calm things down. To gain the attention and the focus of the children try a book where they have to listen for something like an action word and then give them the chance to participate.

Try to involve your group in choosing the book. Ask them to choose a theme or an author they like and find a book to suit their ideas. Link the book to topics you’ve been discussing in your class.

Use your voice

Reading with expression is a great way to engage children with books. Use a louder voice or a rising vocal pitch to build tension and excitement. Whispering and long drawn out tones can help to create a sense of anticipation and a quiet feeling. Try different vocal tones to engage the children.

Allow children to be active

I’m a big fan of books that give children a licence to get up and move creatively. Look for books like Doing the Animal Bop where the text gives you the actions and instructions for children so children can participate. Children can get the benefits of the story while also experience the benefit of the movement. You could always read any book through once and ask children to help you assign actions to certain pages so they can join in.

Books and reading help develop listening and concentration skills. Have children listen out for certain words or phrases. Let them join in and say those phrases with you. You could also assign an action so every time you say the word ‘jump’, children are allowed to get up and jump. Do this on a second or third reading of the book so the children are familiar with the story.

Get everyone involved

Before you read a word, show the children the book and talk about it. Talk to them about the cover. Ask them if they know the author and the illustrator. Flip through the pages. Ask the children what the book is about and what they think will happen. Then read the book to see if you’re right. Be sure to revisit your predictions at the end of the book.

Recall and Analyse

After you’ve read the book to the children, ask the children questions to help them recall the text. Questions should be based on things they can recall from the text, but should also include an opportunity for children to infer their knowledge. Ask about a particular event then ask why the character might have done what they did or how would the children feel if that was them.

Try a book that is also a song

A great way to engage children with books is choosing a book they can help sing. There are many books that are both a narrative story and feature a well-known song. Some parts of the book are sung, and some are read. The change of voice and tone are great for keeping children involved and engaged.

Turn Books into play

Books are a great way of encouraging creative play. Start with simple role-play and by making your own mini dramatic production of the book. When children are familiar with the story, get them to act out the story as you read it together. Assign children a character and ask them to think about why the character acts or behaves in the way that they do. This kind of activity is also great to help children relate emotionally to different characters.

Books can be used to set the scene for more detailed and creative play. Narrative stories can provide examples of interactions and ideas while non-fiction books can give children the knowledge to extend their play further.

If you have multiple copies of your favourite books, leave them in different places in the nursery. For instance, a copy of a book in the crafting area might encourage a child to try a different kind of drawing or art experience. Leave copies in play areas all around the nursery so children have the option of exploring the book independently.

Ideas for games and activities can come directly from the books. For example, if you’re reading a book like Room on the Broom (Julia Donaldson), you could make up a game to the same effect as musical chairs, but instead use the book as the inspiration. To turn a book into play, look for ideas from the plot, the characters and the themes. Think about other ideas you can explore from the book.

Play is the work of children. Play should be creative and child-led, but it can be positively influenced by adults. Adults should ask open-ended questions, join in with the children and read books to help stimulate creativity. Try a variety of different books to give children a full range of experiences to incorporate into their play.  

Think about when you read the story. Reading the story near the beginning of the session might mean that children have more of a chance to incorporate what they’ve heard. You could see their reactions and reflections in their play and their creative artwork. It also gives nursery staff a chance to refer back to the story throughout the rest of the day. This will help children have a more continuous experience and encourage them to recall and identify with the story.

Story times are some of the most exciting times of the day at nursery. Choose books that the children love. Make it a part of your day, every day and encourage children to think beyond the story and to use it as a basis to create their own play.

Tracy Lowe is Scottish Book Trust’s early years trainer. She offers CPD Sessions for early years professionals – join her for Extending Books into Play or Using Songs and Rhymes, or find out more about her extensive range of courses here - http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/babies-early-years/training