The document discusses the importance of reading to children and developing literacy skills at different stages of childhood development according to Piaget. It also outlines the benefits of reading to children such as intellectual, social, and language development as well as skills encouraged like memory, imagination, curiosity, and preparing kids for reading. The document provides guidance for creating children's stories and engaging children with reading.

1. CHILDREN’S STORIES
The importance of reading and being read to.

2. This Week:
 Monday: What makes a good children’s story?
 Tues-Wed: Making Your Children’s Story
 Thursday: The History of Children’s Stories ft.
“Little Red Riding Hood”.
 Friday: Who knows!?!?!

3. Piaget and Reading
 Sensorimotor - 0-2
 Egocentric, the 5 senses, exploring surroundings
 Preoperational – 2-7
 Egocentric, learning to classify, categorize and count.
 Concrete Operations – 7-11
 More social, less egocentric, some symbolic learning
 Formal Operations – 11- adulthood
 Abstract/complex thinking, logic and
reason, predicting consequences, symbolic learning.

4. Question:
 How does reading and being read
to help encourage learning at
each stage?

5. Benefits of Reading
 Intellectual Development
 Vocabulary and language
 Gathering information
 New ideas and concepts
 Social Development
 Listening and asking questions
 Reading together
 Reading to someone

6. What Does Reading Encourage?

7. Language Skills
 Recognizing and repeating letters, sounds and
words.
 Seeing, hearing and practicing the use of
language.

8. Memory
 Remembering
letters/words, details, characters, plot, and
situations.
 Connecting stories to own experiences.

9. Symbolic Thought
 Reading words, understanding meaning and
visualizing.
 Making word-image connections.

10. Imagination
 Encourage understanding
beyond experience of
the child.
 Exercising creative
thought.
 Language can
express anything!

12. Curiosity
 Listening and
Observing
 Show and tell
 Asking Questions

Who, what, where, w
hen, why and how?
 Inspire new
interests

13. Preparing Kids for Reading
 Caring about reading
 Having books available
 Reading to your child
 Bring your child’s attention to writing/language
 Library visits

14. Reading to a child is the single most important
factor in their reading success!

15. Your Favourite!
 What was your favourite book from
your childhood?
 What made it so fantastic?

16. What makes a good children’s
story?
 Enjoyable story
 Age appropriate (language, plot, themes)
 Likeable characters
 Familiar situations
 Humorous, exciting, make-believe
 Basic, descriptive language
 Strong illustrations
 Respectful of diverse cultures and beliefs
 Pleasing rhythm, rhyme and repitition

17. Before You Start
 Age Appropriateness
 Language Level
 Plot and Characters (Be original!)
 Illustrations
 Themes, “lessons”, and learning opportunities

18. Your Assignment
 Your Job: Create your own children’s story
 Where: the computer lab
 When: Tuesday and Thursday
 Why: To illustrate your knowledge of:
1. the importance of reading for kids
2. the characteristics of a good children’s story

19. Online: Storybird
 http://storybird.com/
 Online reading, story creating and sharing.