Books, reading and storytelling is an important experience we share with children at our nursery. It is also a fun activity for parents to do at home whatever their age.
What is World Book Day?
World Book Day is a national day that helps raise awareness of the love of reading and sharing stories. Celebrating the day ensures that we all work together to develop this love of books and storytelling with children.
Why is storytelling important for babies and young children?
Reading and storytelling help babies and young children develop an understanding of sounds, learn new words, learn the sounds that letters make and promote communication and language skills. Books and reading also promote your child’s development in many other ways such as:
- spark their imagination
- encourage creative thinking and problem solving
- stimulate curiosity
- boost self-esteem
World Book Day continues to inspire the children in our care to read for pleasure and gain confidence in all areas of learning.
On Thursday 4th March our nursery will be celebrating World Book Day by using many of the children’s favourite storybooks and props. We will be exploring their stories in-depth and having a lot of fun together too! Some children may dress up as their favourite character if they wish to and others may come to the nursery in their pyjamas and with their favourite teddy bear.
Here are some ways you can encourage your child to get involved with World Book Day at home.
- When reading to your child, let your child hold the book and be the one to turn the pages themselves
- Encourage your child to name all the colours in the pictures of their favourite book
- Ask your child to describe what is happening in the pictures of the book
- Read through the words together
- Tell a story using story stones with characters on. Story stones have pictures painted onto smooth pebbles that relate to the story. They can be used to tell the story in order or they can be placed in front of the child to allow them to create a story from memory or create their own stories using their imagination
- Use homemade story spoons to act out the scenes from your child’s favourite story. Story spoons can be used in the same way as story stones. Using props like these help children to develop their vocabulary, extend their imagination, allow them to become more interested in the love of books, enhance their experience of play and engages them in sustained shared thinking
- Use our recipe to make gingerbread men from ‘The Gingerbread man’.
- Go on a bear hunt and act out the scenes from ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’. Be imaginative by using different rooms in your home or bring the story to life why exploring outside wooded areas
Our nursery will be giving each child a £1 book token at their nursery which is valid from Thursday 18th February to Sunday 28th March 2021. This token allows your child to choose a book of their own to keep. There is great a range of £1 books to choose from, you can view them all on the World Book Day website.
Search for your local participating bookseller here.
We would love to see you all dressed up as your favourite characters so please send in any photos or videos to your nursery manager.