Today we celebrate World Book Day, with a lot of reading and playing. We know our children’s favorite books that they brought from home. Our crèche has become the real World of Imagination with all the children and staff dressed in the costumes of their favorite characters.
Reading plays a fundamental role in language development. Therefore, books must be part of the children’s universe from birth. When caregivers are reading, they discover the structure of the language and, little by little, realize that it is the images and letters that make they tell the stories. Thus, the child gradually discovers that the letters are symbols and that the texts contain meanings.
Celebrating the day of the book is a way to remember the importance it has in our lives. Reading should be a pleasant time for both children and adults. The sooner you have contact with reading, the better. Reading expands vocabulary, increases knowledge and is a form of fun. And, to encourage this habit to be created really early.
For reading to become a habit and contribute effectively to development, it must be part of the children care routine, as well as feeding and bedtime rituals.
Every month we work around a theme and plan our activities in advance aiming at the integral development of our children, but it is important to keep in mind that our lesson plan is flexible and we must incorporate ideas that our children bring and natural events. Today, for example, it snowed and in Shaw Street Center our children were able to play a little with the snow and as we are talking about love, kindness and learning about the shape of the heart instead of making snowmen we decided to make Snowhearts, to enjoy this natural event and incorporate what we are learning.