Story Time
Story Time is one of the most powerful learning experiences for children because they naturally make sense of the world through story and play. Story Time promotes language and literacy skills, but also strengthens cognitive and social-emotional skills as well.
Every other month, our schools receive a selection of books carefully and intentionally curated for each age group. Classroom activities have been specially designed to go along with each book. Each activity sheet illustrates how to read that book to support language and literacy skills, as well as activities that engage the different developmental domains.
Plus, our Story Time at Home Newsletter gives families fun facts about language and literacy development and ideas for how to read with children at home.
The Power of Reading
A Message From Johnna Weller, Chief Academic Officer
Of all the moments you share with your child each day, reading a story together is one of the most impactful to your child’s development. When you curl up together and open a new or favorite book, you are deepening critical social and emotional bonds with your child and creating a language-rich experience that fuels the developing brain. Why is reading aloud to your child so powerful?
- Stories help your child learn about themselves and others.
- Picture books are filled with rich vocabulary that develops your child’s oral language skills.
- Reading a book together helps your child with critical life skills, such as sustaining focus and attention, controlling impulses, and developing social skills like empathy
Humans process and organize experience by thinking narratively, about who, what, where, and why things happen around them. Young children know this instinctively and are drawn to storytelling and books, wanting to hear them again and again. When you sit your child on your lap and point to the pictures, make animal sounds, or recite favorite phrases, you’re making connections that last a lifetime!
