All adults working with young children know how important it is that children learn to read. The Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) recognised the importance of promoting children's early reading development in the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage. No less than half of the early learning goals for communication, language and literacy are about early reading.
The importance is borne out in research findings. Recent studies such as the Bookstart Project in Birmingham have shown that when parents and carers give children positive experiences with books from an early age, they have an advantage when they start school, and other studies have shown that children achieve better in their later education.
Two key features seem to influence children's achievement in reading. The first is that children want to read and see it as important and serving a purpose. The second is that they love books and enjoy reading and being read to.
Reading is not just a skill, it's an adventure and opens doors to whole new worlds. We need to make reading and sharing books a pleasurable experience for all children. When children see books as exciting, interesting and fun they will choose to 'read' for themselves and share books with others.
Babies, toddlers and young children love to hear stories and rhymes. From the very beginning, it is important to read aloud to children. This is a key way to make books 'come alive' for them. Our main task as early years practitioners is to help children develop positive attitudes towards books and reading.
The importance of books
Listening to stories read and told helps to develop vocabulary. Children who have a variety of rich literary experiences 'borrow' the language of books and use it in their play and daily lives. They tend to play more imaginatively and for longer periods of time.
Books give children opportunities to reflect on their own experiences and help them to make sense of the world. Through books, children can 'try out' the potentially worrying emotions in loss, loneliness or jealousy. They can begin to come to terms with their own feelings in a safe situation.
They can even be 'frightened' in a way that is exciting but not threatening. For example, A Dark, Dark Tale by Ruth Brown (Red Fox, 4.99) is one of those gently scary books that helps children overcome their own fears. They can follow the story that starts on 'a dark, dark moor' to its conclusion, which is satisfying and reassuring. As adults and children share books together they can explore and discuss serious topics - for example, a new addition to the family -in an enjoyable way.
Children and adults re-read favourite books frequently and when they do children begin to respond at different levels and in more sophisticated ways. They make links between books and draw on their earlier experiences. As children revisit books they develop the ability to predict what will happen next.
As their experience broadens they feel confident to predict what will happen in unfamiliar stories, too. It is important that children have opportunities to retell stories in various ways. There are many soft toys, puppets and story props on the market nowadays which can help children to tell stories. Practitioners can use the props at story sessions and then work with small groups of children until they become familiar with using props by themselves. Many early years settings now send story props home for families to share.
Planning
We need to plan carefully to make sure that children have positive experiences with books every day. We need to make sure all children have access to:
* a wide-ranging collection of high quality fiction and information books
* adults who value books and reading and take every opportunity to share books with children in exciting, interesting and pleasurable ways
* a learning environment which shows that books and reading are valued and a high priority
* a book area which is welcoming and invites children and adults to share books together
* an atmosphere which encourages parents and carers to share books in the group setting and at home.
Categories of books
The Centre for Language in Primary Education (CLPE, 020 7401 3382/3) has a list of over 100 books suitable for nursery-age children. These fall into three main categories that sometimes overlap:
* books that help to develop children's love of literature
* books that specifically help children to learn to read
* information texts.
Books that help to enrich children's understanding, enjoyment and love of literature have many things in common:
* They are often written by experienced and skilful children's writers and illustrated by talented artists.
* The books are often traditional or contemporary 'classics'.
* They are frequently 'multi-layered' and can be read at different levels, meaning different things to different readers.
* The language in the books is used in exciting and inventive ways.
* The books reflect the multicultural society in which we live and address important issues.
* These books can be discussed and revisited again and again.
Other books share many of these features but also provide support and encouragement for young readers to learn. They help children to 'behave as readers'. To achieve this:
* The books have texts that children remember.
* The text is often repetitive and patterned and encourages prediction.
* Many have a content that is rhythmic and uses rhyming text.
* The illustrations are supportive and of high quality and sometimes humorous.
* The books give opportunities for children to begin to understand the way in which books work.
Reading attitudes
All early years professionals need to encourage in children:
* an interest in and love of books
* the use of books for enjoyment
* a view of oneself as a reader
* enjoyment of stories read and told
* the use of books to gain information
* confidence with books and reading
Children's 'classics'
Books that will enrich children's understanding and enjoyment and foster a love of literature include:
* Whatever next? by Jill Murphy (Macmillan, 4.99)
* The Pig in the Pond by Martin Waddell (Walker Books, 4.99 paperback, 12.99 big book)
* Handa's Surprise by Eileen Brown (Walker Books, 4.99 pb, 12.99 bb)
* Once Upon a Time by John Prater (Walker Books, 4.99 pb, 12.99 bb)
* Six Dinner Sid by Inga Moore (Hodder Wayland, 4.99)
* Mrs Honey's Hat by Pam Adams (Child's Play Int, 2.50)
* Lazy Lion by Mwenye Hadithi (Hodder, 4.99)
* The Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle (Hamish Hamilton, 4.99)
* Through my Window by Tony Bradman (Mammoth, 4.99)
* Kipper's Birthday by Mick Inkpen (Hodder, 4.99)
(Look out for other books by these authors)