“The more vocabulary we can expose them to, the better – particularly for those children that maybe don’t have a vocabulary rich environment at home.“
Gemma Rolstone, Puffins Nurseries
The Need:
When Puffins Nurseries in Exeter conducted research with their families it revealed what they suspected to be true. A high percentage of children in their settings rarely listened to a bedtime story. This research mirrors the national picture. The team needed to find a way to encourage their families to share more stories with their children.
What They Did:
Having discovered The Story Basket, practitioners realised that the programme aligned with their aim to expose children to more stories, both at nursery and at home. To help with home learning, they shared a new story with their families every month. This was done via their newsletter and the website. Puffins Nurseries also played The Story Basket in the baby room to children as young as six months. This happened at sleep time and group time, two or three times a week.
The Results:
The Story Basket has had a significant impact on children from across the Puffins’ settings. Listening to audio-only stories has allowed children to use their imaginations and exposed them to a wide range of new vocabulary. Incorporating The Story Basket into their practice has also had an impact on the Helicopter Stories children tell, which are now more varied and include impressive vocabulary. In the baby room, the results are yet to be seen, but staff at Puffins Nurseries hope that exposing children to these stories at such a young age, will help them as they progress through nursery and start dictating stories of their own.
