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The importance of Sharing Stories
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hursday 5th March is World Book Day which this year is about sharing a million stories. Sharing stories, is not only a brilliant way to bond with your children and help their learning, it is also hugely beneficial to their mental health and wellbeing. Reading together for just 10 minutes a day can have a huge impact. Studies have shown that those who read for pleasure have higher levels of self-esteem and a greater ability to cope with difficult situations. Reading for pleasure was also associated with better sleeping patterns which is why sharing a story at bedtime is recommended. Stories are also a great way for children to learn about feelings and moods. You can discuss how characters feel and behave in different scenarios which can be very useful when trying to explain real life situations to a child. Reading together supports a child to develop their communication skills. Listening to different words and sounds from an early
age, particularly rhymes, help children to develop early literacy skills. This is very useful when they begin to learn to read and write themselves. Northamptonshire County Council Statutory Libraries will be holding special activities for World Book Day and they all provide weekly Rhymetime sessions to support parents and children with early learning. Some libraries also offer play sessions. The Weekly Activities Timetable in the back of this magazine lists some of the activities taking place in local libraries. For a more comprehensive list visit: www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/whatson or like your library’s facebook page. You can also follow them on twitter: @Library_Plus. Article by Jo Hoyer from Northamptonshire Libraries and Information Service www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/libraryservice
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