Tips for learning with books and storytelling#
You can support your tamaiti | child by:
- enjoying reading and telling them stories from infancy, sharing favourite books and stories often
- including books and stories that reflect their own life and culture as well as others
- encouraging them to retell and make up stories in their own way, for example through dance, acting it out, puppets or digital media
- listening to their stories and encouraging them to listen to others’ stories
- discussing what they think of books and stories
- using different voices and intonation, and drawing attention to letters, words and pictures as you read.
Tip
Ideas for books and storytelling at home
- Display books so your tamaiti can see the covers and select them themselves.
- Provide board books for infants that they can reach and handle easily.
- Use carpet, chairs, beanbags or cushions to make cosy spaces to read.
- Use pre-recorded stories very sparingly – your tamaiti will benefit more from seeing and interacting with you as you read.
- Include a diverse range of literature styles – poems, chants, nonsense rhymes, reference books, pakiwaitara | stories, pūrākau | ancient stories, picture books, books in te reo Māori and in home languages.
- Consider how your book and story selection reflects a range of cultures, family structures and gender roles.
- Provide props such as puppets, dress-ups, stones, shells, animals, and children’s own illustrations to support storytelling.
- Choose digital devices, apps, and media that support your tamaiti to create and tell their own stories.
Learning with books and storytelling#
Books and storytelling build imagination and understanding for tamariki of themselves, others and their wider world. Sharing and discussing stories strengthens their vocabulary and ability to tell their own stories. Books also help build concepts about print and the written word.
Books and storytelling help your tamariki to:
- learn new and unusual words and meanings
- connect with their own culture and feel good about themselves
- see others point of view
- develop imagination and interests
- share experiences with other tamariki and adults
- understand how books work and that print and written symbols can be read.
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