The more vocabulary we can expose them to, the better – particularly for those children that maybe don’t have a vocabulary rich environment at home.
Gemma Rolstone, Puffins Nurseries
The Need:
When Puffins Nurseries in Exeter surveyed their families, the results confirmed their concerns: a high percentage of children rarely listened to a bedtime story. This reflected a wider national trend, and the team wanted to find a way to introduce more stories into children’s lives, both at nursery and at home.
They were particularly focused on exposing children to rich vocabulary from an early age, knowing how vital it is for later language and literacy development.
What They Did:
After discovering The Story Basket, the team realised it could help them achieve their goal. Each month, they shared a new story with families through newsletters and their website, encouraging parents to enjoy them with their children at home.
In nursery, The Story Basket became part of daily practice. In the baby room, children as young as six months listened to the audio stories at sleep time and during group sessions two or three times a week. Across other rooms, practitioners used the programme to create consistent, engaging storytelling opportunities.
The Results:
The Story Basket has had a noticeable impact on children across the Puffins settings. Listening to audio-only stories has encouraged imagination and exposed children to a wealth of new vocabulary. This exposure is reflected in the Helicopter Stories they dictate, which now include more varied and sophisticated language.
In the baby room, outcomes are still emerging, but staff are hopeful that introducing stories this early will lay strong foundations for language development and storytelling confidence as the children grow.
Gemma reflects, “The more vocabulary we can expose them to, the better. It’s making a real difference for those children who may not have access to a vocabulary-rich environment at home.”
