What does story time mean to you?
Perhaps it is sharing a book with a child or group of children, taking time over the rhythm and sounds of the words, or looking closely at the illustrations. Perhaps it is telling a story using props, body movements, or facial expressions. Maybe you are at home with your child, or in a space with the children you work with. Wherever you are, and however you do it, story time is a special time for building relationships, connection, and cosiness.
To help us celebrate books in 2023 we asked four contributors who share stories with children at work and/or at home the same question – What does story time mean to you?
We hope their responses resonate with your own, as well as offer things to reflect on.
Emily Price (Lees)
Story time is special for me because it creates opportunities for connection. Children sharing a space with each other whilst their imagination and curiosity are sparked can bring them together. Going a step further, as a Neurodivergent-Affirming speech and language therapist part of my work involves advocating for change in how schools support Neurodivergent children. We need inclusive environments where we teach all children about Neurodiversity – for example, instead of solely teaching Autistic children about neurotypical social skills, we need to teach neurotypical children about Autistic social skills and communication styles. Difference should be celebrated, however, the Autistic child in the class is likely to be bullied and teased by their peers for being different. Choosing books that feature Neurodivergent children will help create more inclusive classrooms. It’s important that the books selected do not stigmatise Autistic/Neurodivergent children, but celebrate them. Story time is a great opportunity to do this.
About Emily Price
Emily is a proudly autistic Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) based in Manchester, UK. Emily advocates and campaigns for Autism Acceptance through public speaking, training, and education in order to transform the way professionals assess and support autistic children and young people.
Follow Emily on Twitter: @emiliolees
Follow Emily on Facebook: The Autistic SLT
Rachna Joshi
Story time is a special time for everyone involved! I love to get cosy with a group of children on a bean bag, with some leaning on my shoulders, maybe someone else in my lap, settling in for their favourite stories. I love to embody the characters, changing voices or whispering to add suspense, adding sound effects like knocking on the floor to give a realistic ‘knock knock’ sound. My favourite part is being fully immersed in the story, building tension along with the author, leading up to a plot twist, watching the children’s faces as they realise the story didn’t finish as they expected! Sometimes at the end of a story, I will hear someone call out “again!”, so we snuggle up to repeat the experience, but this time we’re a little more prepared for the twist at the end!
About Rachna Joshi
Rachna is a teacher and consultant. She works with under-threes, Nursery and Reception children, and holds an MA in Early Childhood Studies.
Rachna writes for organisations like Tapestry, Nursery World, Froebel Trust and Early Education, sharing knowledge, empowering practitioners and provoking questions to disrupt routine practice.
A passionate advocate for rough-and-tumble play, anti-racist practice and identity, self-awareness and metacognition in young children, Rachna combines theory and practice to promote the holistic development of the children she works with and their communities.
Follow Rachna on Twitter: @RJoshiEYFS
Follow Rachna on Instagram: @rachnajoshi
Visit Rachna’s website: rachnajoshi.com
Simon Wright
Story time is such an important part of our time spent with the children in school, not just developing reading and attention skills, but to develop relationships and interactions between children and adults. For me, our ‘sensory’ story time was one of my favourite teaching sessions during the week, preparing resources to accompany a wide range of stories and encouraging the children to get involved in the telling and delivery of each story. We particularly enjoyed using shaving foam as snow in one story. I also particularly enjoyed developing reading corners in class, focusing on working with class teams to encourage closeness and comfort as a theme when sharing stories with the children. Beanbags, cushions and at one point, a tent, were a great way of promoting this, to not only share a favourite story but also develop meaningful interactions and communication between adults and children throughout the day.
About Simon Wright
Simon has worked with children with learning differences for over 12 years, firstly as a teaching assistant, then a class teacher and now as the Assistant Headteacher at Cherry Garden, a primary school for children with learning differences in Peckham.
Their ethos centres around child-led and play-based learning, where children can engage in activities around their interests and motivations above all else.
Follow Simon on Twitter: @__simonwright
Alicia Wilkins
My favourite setting for story time is snuggled in bed, straight after my son has had his bath. Logan is free to choose a book (a maximum of 2 books ) or I will suggest a new book to read. Story time is an exciting opportunity for him to make sense of the world, whether it be through the fantasy characters or characters that reflect true life experiences.
Currently, we are preparing to welcome a new baby and the perfect book to read is ‘My new baby’ by Shannel Joseph & illustrated by Thea Mcphillips. A simple story, written in simple rhyme, Logan can retell the story, independently read various words, ask questions and discuss his thoughts about becoming a big brother.
Representation amongst the pages is important and he has recognised that the characters in the book reflect our biracial family. We are then able to have the important conversations to do with race, culture, love and kindness.
About Alicia Wilkins
Mother, Early Years Practitioner, Writer, Singer and Personal Trainer. Alicia Wilkins, has taken a break away from primary school teaching, to focus on her writing, artistry, fitness business and family life. With a passion for child-centred learning, wellness, creativity, inclusion and representation in all educational settings, she aims to amplify the voices of those who face adversity and celebrate and elevate all of our beautiful children, who all have unique qualities to offer the world.
Follow Alicia on Instagram: @alicia_music
Visit Alicia’s website: aliciawilkins.com