This presentation provides information, guidance ond tips on how and why we should share books with young children in the EYFS. Reading is key in the early years. This presentation explores some of the reasons why

2. Session Outcomes
• Increased understanding of the importance of sharing books with children
• More sharing and reading of books across all groups
• Sharing books more often in a range of contexts
• Increased confidence in reading and sharing books
• More effective book reading and story telling by practitioners
• More age appropriate and engaging ways of reading books by practitioners

4. The mysterious glue
Stories

5. Reading with Babies

6. Reading to babies…
Reading to babies contributes to the development of their growing brains and
gives them a good start towards a lifelong love of reading and good literature.
When you read to infants, it can also help language development as they are
taking in information and beginning to learn about speech patterns. In
addition, synapses connect between your infant's neurons as you read aloud,
positively affecting child development in many areas.

7. Of course, reading aloud to an infant is different than reading aloud to an
older child. With a baby, you may not get through the whole book. The baby
may want to hold the book and chew on it or try turning pages. All of these
actions are appropriate and help your child become familiar with books and
how to handle them. Here are some tips to follow when reading to your
baby.
• Make reading together a close cuddly time… hold the baby on your lap
and cuddle together while you read.
• Don't worry about reading a book start to finish... if the child wants to
stop and hold or chew on the book, that is okay. That is another way
infants take in information about their world.
• Point out and name pictures. Later ask your baby to find the "cow,"
"horse," etc., when you point to it.
• Increase the length and complexity of books as each child shows interest.
By about one year of age, some babies will enjoy hearing a short book with
a storyline.

8. Babies enjoy short books with simple pictures or photographs. They will
enjoy stories about babies and real-life objects as well as books that have
great rhythm and rhyme. It is also a great idea to choose ‘board’ or fabric
books.
Choose books that:
• are about babies;
• have simple pictures or photographs;
• are durable – thick cardboard, cloth or plastic; and
• have interactive elements like textures, flaps, pop-ups and mirrors.

9. Top tips
• Choose a time when children are happy and alert.
• Find a quiet place to share books together, with
minimal distractions.
• Let children reach out and touch the books.
• Help children hold the book and turn the pages.
• Sit so you can see the children’s faces and the book.
• Talk about what you can see.
• Read the same books over and over.

11. Reading is important for children’s brain development
In 1995, a landmark study by
researchers Betty Hart and
Todd Risley found that, in the
first three years of life, some
children heard thirty million
more words than others, an
advantage that translated by
third grade into bigger
vocabularies, better reading
skills, and higher test scores.

12. As children get older…
Before children can read by themselves, they need early literacy skills.
These include:
• understanding that print carries meaning
• having a large vocabulary of words and knowing how to use them
• understanding that words are made up of smaller sounds (called
phonemic awareness)
• understanding that marks on a page represent letters and words
• knowing the letters of the alphabet

13. Some more reading tips… as children get older
• Read whatever books children ask for; even if it's always the same book
• Read slowly so they can understand the story.
• Read expressively, using different voices for different characters, and raising or lowering your voice as
appropriate.
• Use puppets, finger plays (like the "Itsy Bitsy Spider"), or props while you read.
• Encourage participation - to clap or sing when you read rhythmic
• Talk about the pictures. Point to items and name them. Then ask the children to name them with you and
praise your child for their response.
• Ask open-ended questions: "Why do you think the lion is going into the woods? What do you think will
happen next?" This helps your child to think about the story and to ask questions.
• Use children’s names as the name of a character in the book.
• Have fun! Show that reading is enjoyable.

14. Section header layout
Subtitle
Increases Brain
activity
Concentration
Encourages a
thirst for
knowledge!
Teaches
children about
different topics
Develops
imagination
and creativity
Develops
empathy

15. Link to
the
EYFS

16. Activity Instructions
• Find at least 2 cards from covering different aspects of development relevant
for the age-group YOU work with
• Read the milestone, and consider which children in your group are meeting
this milestone, which are starting to and which are not
• Think of all the things you could do, in relation to working with books, to
support children to meet this milestone
• Discuss your ideas with someone from the same developmental aspect but a
different age-group
• See what the EYFS suggests you do
• Find the matching / corresponding cards by looking at the numbers or letters
on the back

18. Do the children like to
look at the Year books?
Why?

19. Here’s what WE know…
• There's a difference between words and
pictures. Point to the print as you read aloud.
• Words on a page have meaning, and that is
what we learn to read.
• Words go across the page from left to right.
Follow with your finger as you read.
• Words on a page are made up of letters and are
separated by a space.
• Each letter has at least two forms: one for
capital letters and and one for small letters.

20. What are the different contexts and times we can share
books with children in the gan?

21. Fiction and Non-Fiction
Can you grab one
example of each?

22. What props or resources can you use with books?

23. Extending beyond the book: Activities, planned play?

24. Moodle: Sharing Stories, books and rhymes