Making Reading More Than a Routine:
Implementing Story Time into Everyday Learning
A love of reading can begin as early as infancy when a baby first recognizes excitement in her parents’ voices during story time. Parents and educators play a critical role in establishing a child’s love for reading, which is crucial for brain development and language proficiency. At Primrose Schools®,story time is an essential part of our exclusive Balanced Learning® approach and the daily classroom experience for infants through kindergarteners.
It’s never too early to begin reading to your child. According to Reach Out and Read, a nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy, the single most effective way to prepare young children for success in school is to read out loud to them every day. Beyond early literacy skills, reading stories together can help children learn about the world and increases their ability to understand others’ emotions.
“Reading is an integral part of our daily activities for children in every classroom,” said Dr. Pratiksha Rigley, Franchise Owner of Primrose Schools of Frisco West, Prestonwood and Preston Meadow. “We want children to get excited about reading, and by emphasizing different concepts and character traits through reading, we see improvements in language development, comprehension and creativity.”
The Primrose Schools’ Education Team purposefully selects every single book that is used in Primrose classrooms to reinforce specific lessons in the curriculum. Primrose teachers use the following guidelines, which also can be applied at home, to optimize story time for each age group through the first five years:
Birth – Age 1: At this age, reading books should be associated with comfort and warmth. At Primrose, little ones are held and cuddled while teachers read to them. Sturdy board books with bright illustrations are used most often because they are easy to handle and invite participation. Books with repetitive elements and familiar subjects, like babies and animals, also resonate with infants since they respond to faces and eyes before other stimuli.
Ages 1 – 3: Primrose selects a wide variety of stories to feature in the classroom to help toddlers build vocabulary and establish an understanding of story sequencing. A sequence of events that is both interesting and understandable helps children identify with a book. By asking a lot of questions and using different character voices, reading is more dramatic and captures children’s attention.
Ages 4 – 5: Preschoolers at Primrose are encouraged to discover the magic of books for themselves.
Books help young children understand their own feelings when characters face similar life events, so Primrose selects topics that children are often curious about. Books that introduce new topics and ideas are also incorporated.
In addition to the above guidelines, Primrose recommends making the most of story time by following the READ acronym, which was developed by the teacher training arm of the Atlanta Speech School – the nation’s most comprehensive center for language and literacy:
- Repeat books three to five times. Discuss the story, characters and new vocabulary in each book.
- Engage in and enjoy reading, using different voices for the characters to bring each story to life.
- Ask “why” questions, letting children share their ideas about the story.
- Do more with the book. Reinforce the lesson or theme from each story through related activities.
To learn more about us!
Primrose School of Frisco West off 423 and Lebanon, visit primrosefriscowest.com or call 214-469-1381 to schedule a tour.
Primrose School of Prestonwood in Addison, visit primroseprestonwood.com or call 469-791-9131 to schedule a tour
Primrose Plano at Preston Meadow off Coit and Spring Creek, visit primroseplanoprestonmeadow.com or call 972-964-6826