Way Ahead

special pull out

For childcare proFeSSionalS working with under FiveS

Produced by

Communications Team, Surrey Early Years and Childcare Service. For more information or to contact us:email: wayahead@surreycc.gov.ukweb: www.surreycc.gov.uk/thebigreadtel: 01372 833833

There's just so much to tell you! Where to start? Well, The Big Read for small children campaign got off to a great start at our launch event. We held it in Painshill Park and it was lovely to see over 700 children joining in with stories and activities with their dads, mums and carers. We tried out all sorts of ideas and we thought you might find them useful for your mini Big Read for small children events so we've made an album on Facebook with photos and tips.

mini Big Read foR small childRen evenTsHaven't heard of a mini Big Read for small children event yet? Well, don’t worry, it's not too late to take part. It's a bit like a mini version of our launch event you can hold with the children in your setting. Apply for your free event pack, download extra resources and find out more at www.surreycc.gov.uk/thebigread Read wiTh me leafleTsOur new Read with Me leaflets are full of tips to help dads, mums and carers encourage a love of reading at different ages and stages of their child's development. Find them at www.surreycc.gov.uk/thebigread

win pRizesYou could win books for your setting by the authors in our interviews on page 6. That's right, we have a copy of Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson, Splosh (Kipper storyboards) by Mick Inkpen and Golidlocks and the Three Bears, illustrated by Emma Dodd to give away.

For your chance to win, just get in touch with us by 14 February 2014. You can either email us at wayahead@surreycc.gov.uk with the subject heading Way Ahead book prize draw or write to us at:

Way Ahead book prize drawSurrey Early Years and Childcare ServiceFairmount HouseBull HillLeatherheadSurrey KT22 7AH

We need your name, your setting name and address and a phone number so we can contact you if you win. If you enter by email, we'll reply to confirm we've received your entry. Terms and conditions apply, for full details, visit www.surreycc.gov.uk/wayahead

faceBook and TwiTTeRWe've been busily posting and tweeting to bring you more tips, ideas and photos. If you haven't already, why not join in by liking our SurreyEYCS Facebook page and following us @SurreyEYCS on Twitter?

peBBle penguinDid you know Surrey Libraries have a new Pebble Penguin library card just for under fives? There’s a Reading Adventure stamp card too and children can get rewards for reading. The back page of this special pull out is a Pebble Penguin poster - why not tear it out and put it up in your setting for dads, mums and carers to see?

eveRyThing elseWhat else? Hopefully you've been reading The Big Read for small children e-bulletins each month, they're special editions of Way Ahead e-bulletins, and they're fit to bursting with ideas and prizes (subscribe at www.surreycc.gov.uk/wayahead).

Oh, there's so much more to tell you but we’ve run out of room. So for everything else, head over to www.surreycc.gov.uk/thebigread

so far

We’ve crammed this special edition with ideas, prizes, suggestions, information and interviews all around encouraging a love of reading in under fives.

Why? Well, we want all under fives to love reading so much, we’re dedicating an entire campaign to it! And this special edition is just a little part of it.

You’ve probably heard of it by now, it’s called The Big Read for small children and we’re aiming to widen opportunities for young children to enjoy books and to experience a wide range of language through rhymes, poetry and stories. But we can’t do it alone!

That’s where you come in. Through the campaign we’ll be giving you loads of ideas, training, information, suggestions, inspiration and resources to help you further the work you do to encourage a love of reading in the under fives. And best of all - it’s free!

If you’re new to the campaign, this special edition is a great starting point. But for the full works, you need to get yourself over to www.surreycc.gov.uk/thebigread and make sure you sign up for the monthly e-bulletins, they’re special editions of the monthly Way Ahead e-bulletins but their completely devoted to The Big Read for small children (subscribe at www.surreycc.gov.uk/wayahead). And for tips, photos, exclusive news and updates it’s got to be our SurreyEYCS Facebook and @SurreyEYCS Twitter pages of course!

We don’t want reading to stop at age five, so if you work with older children, The Big Read for small children e-bulletins include ideas for you too. Plus we have tips and ideas online at www.surreycc.gov.uk (depending on your role, search the site for playwork and the over fives or childminders and the over fives).

We hope you enjoy everything within these pages and find lots of new ideas to try with the children in your setting.

Happy reading!

Phil Osborne

Head of Early Years and Childcare Service

Way Ahead

Welcometo thiS Special edition oF

magazine

Here I am (on the left) chatting to Ashley Wyeth, Booktrust Regional Manager for South England at The Big Read for small children launch event.

Enter our prize draw for your chance to win!

ContentsInside you’ll find

02 // The Big Read for small children special Welcome

03 // The Big Read for small children special The Big Read so far

04 // The Big Read for small children special Stories – from creating to telling

06 // The Big Read special for small children In their own words

08 // The Big Read for small children special Pebble Penguin poster

// welcome / The Big Read for small children special The Big Read for small children special / the big read For Small children So Far //

03

prize drawWin a Harry’s Hazelnut story sack for your setting! We have eight to give away. All you have to do to enter is email us at wayahead.surreycc.gov.uk by 14 February 2014 with the subject heading Way Ahead story sack prize draw or write to us at:

Way Ahead story sack prize drawSurrey Early Years and Childcare ServiceFairmount House Bull HillLeatherheadSurrey KT22 7AH

We need your name, your setting name and address and a phone number so we can contact you if you win. If you enter by email, we’ll reply to confirm we’ve received your entry. Terms and conditions apply, for full details, visit www.surreycc.gov.uk/wayahead

Ruth parsons (pictured) is the author of harry’s hazelnut, a story sack trainer and a storytelling expert so she knows a thing or two about stories – particularly when it’s outdoors! Read on to get her tips on sharing stories with children.

Why are stories so important for children?Most of all because they’re fun and a great way of sharing time together and everyone needs a bit of magic in their lives!

Some practitioners may be nervous about storytelling or they may be doing it for the first time, what advice can you give them?I suggest they read the story through themselves first to get an idea of how it goes. They should not be afraid to add in their own bits or change things slightly as this will personalise the story and make it much more fun.

Sometimes using props is good and the listener focuses on the props rather than the reader. The most important thing to do is to read stories you enjoy as this will come across to the children and they will share your enjoyment. Relax and have fun.

For the more experienced practitioners, what tips can you give them about creating and telling their own stories?I usually use stories as a starting point for an activity which will help the children to develop in some specific way, for example, if the children need to be encouraged to speak, I will do a story which leads to an activity they will want to tell me or each other about. My inspiration for stories is always nature as it is so amazing! I use the things I see around me and get ideas from folklore and other stories.

What about supporting children to create stories?If practitioners really enjoy it the children will too. Remember children learn through their whole bodies so give them lots of opportunities to move about and join in. Sitting still is definitely a draw back if you are 3! Story-telling and listening is much better if it is active.

How would you put a story sack together?Get to know the story and then choose things that will help the children to become more involved in the story. Puppets are great! You can make the story sack items or buy them, maybe from a car boot sale.

What are your suggestions for developing activities for the children related to the stories they read?I think the best activities are ones the children can do for themselves. The stories should give ideas and they should be able to run with them in their own way. It is useful to remember the saying “You can’t teach anyone anything, they have to learn it for themselves”.

What tips do you have about taking reading outside? The biggest advantage is that you are right there in the stories’ environment. It makes everything more real and ideas and activities can flow more easily. Reading the story indoors then having to get organised and dressed for going out breaks the magic. It is also great to be outdoors, people are often calmer and more relaxed. The important thing to remember is that you want the people listening to feel comfortable so they must be warm enough, have somewhere to sit, and so on.

Any final advice?Keep reading and making up stories and sharing them with the children. It will remind you what it was like to be a child and you will have great fun.

creating telling

Stories – from

to

What is a story sack?A story sack is a bag (or box!) filled with a story book and lots of things related to it that you can use to capture children’s imaginations, extend their learning and encourage a love of books. For example, in Harry’s Hazlenut storysack, there is:

• the story of Harry’s Hazlenut• soft toy charaters and props• a CD • a picture card game• a non-fiction book with a key to

common trees• outdoor learning notes with woodland

activity ideas• a guide for parents.

Story sacks don’t have to be expensive, a pillow case makes a great bag and charity shops are full of resources. It’s also a way to make good use of toys and games that are rarely used in your setting. Or ask dads, mums and carers for donations of toys and books their children have grown out of or don’t use.

You could use story sacks to help children with different situations too, such as starting school or a new baby. The possibilities are endless!

Read Ruth’s full interview online at

www.surreycc.gov.uk/thebigread

You could win a Harry’s Hazelnut story sack for your setting – we have eight to give away!2004 05

// StorieS - From creating to telling / The Big Read for small children special The Big Read for small children special / StorieS - From creating to telling //

Where do you get your ideas for stories from? Anywhere and everywhere. Ideas can come from the most unexpected places!

Why are stories important for children? They allow children to reach into a world beyond their normal lives, stimulating the imagination and developing empathy and a sense of wonder at the world. Books can also help children to understand difficult concepts and emotions, and to process their own experiences.

What advice do you have about supporting young children to create their own stories? It’s all about confidence. I like to stress that there is no right and wrong answers when it comes to creating stories. Imagination is the key. And most importantly, it should be FUN. If it’s not fun to do, it won’t be fun to read.

Why are campaigns like The Big Read for small children so important? I remember meeting authors and poets when I was a child. It was really inspiring and demystifying. Time spent reading with a child is so special. Some children meet books for the first time through these campaigns. That can be life changing.

What are your favourite children’s books? I love That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown by Cressida Cowell. We are currently reading The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence. Roald Dahl’s books are a great favourite in our house too. My favourite book as a child was called Old Winkle and The Seagulls by Gerald Rose.

Did you always want to be a writer? When I was five my father gave me The Book of a Thousand Poems and I decided I wanted to be a poet – though I was also very keen on acting. I did have some jobs before becoming a full-time writer: I worked for a publisher, in local radio and as an English teacher.

Where do you get your ideas for stories from? Anywhere and everywhere. My best ideas come to me in the bath.

Out of all of your books, which is your favourite? I don’t have just one favourite because they are all like my children. I am maybe most proud of my teenage novel, Running on the Cracks.

What are your favourite children’s books? I love E Nesbit’s The Enchanted Castle, and the Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel.

Did you always want to be a writer? When I was little I wanted to be a railway signalman; all those shiny, clunking levers that were taller than me. I always enjoyed making up stories, so writing stories and splashing paint around in art lessons were my favourite things at school.

Where do you get your ideas for stories from?My books are not based on events and characters in my own life, not knowingly anyway. Childhood is packed with things to play with; from dragons and giants to potty training. For me it’s a matter of entertaining the child in me, rather than writing for the notional average four or five year old.

I guess you come at ideas any way you can, but unlocking playfulness is the key.

When I was writing Threadbear I started with an image of a teddy bear hanging by his ear on a washing line, and wondered how he got there. So the story started in the middle and I worked backwards and forwards from that point.

Sometimes an invented word gets stuck in my head, the way tunes sometimes do. ‘Lullabyhullaballoo!’ was like that.

What advice would you give about supporting young children to create their own stories?I am always a bit wary about dishing out advice to those who have more direct experience of working with children than I do. My guess is that most very young children need only the stimulus of a strong image to riff around imaginatively, and that it is only as children become more familiar with ideas of ‘correct’ and ‘incorrect’ that they inhibit that flow. The same happens with making pictures.

What are your favourite children’s books?As a family we were very fond of Would You Rather by John Burningham. Not a book to take down from the shelf unless you are prepared to allow for plenty of time to make such agonising choices as: ‘Would you rather... your dad did a dance at school or your mum had a row in a cafe’.

In their Here Emma Dodd, Julia Donaldson and Mick Inkpen answer our questions and give us an insight into their worlds. We’re delighted these three top children’s authors have given their support for The Big Read for small children campaign. For a chance to win copies of their books, see our prize draw on page 3.

emma doddChildren’s author and book illustrator, Emma’s books include Forever, Meow said the Cow and I Love Beasts.

Julia donaldsonJulia was the 2011-13 Children’s Laureate and has written a range of children’s poems, songs, plays and books including The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom.

Read the full interviews online at

www.surreycc.gov.uk/thebigread

mick inkpenMick has written various children’s books but is perhaps best known for his Kipper the Dog and Wibbly Pig books.

wordsown

06 07

// in their own wordS / The Big Read for small children special The Big Read for small children special / in their own wordS //