Nursery World - Bags of fun

You've had storysacks - now try poetry pockets that will help the children under age three to develop the seeds of literacy. Alice Sharp explains how As an early years practitioner, you will be familiar with 'storysacks' and may have built up your own collection. But have you thought about extending that to nursery rhymes? Choosing favourite rhymes, poems and songs and creating a 'pocket' of interactive fun can provide hours of highly motivated play for children under three.

As an early years practitioner, you will be familiar with 'storysacks' and may have built up your own collection. But have you thought about extending that to nursery rhymes? Choosing favourite rhymes, poems and songs and creating a 'pocket' of interactive fun can provide hours of highly motivated play for children under three.

Nursery rhymes are an excellent stimulus for activities, providing opportunities to revisit the familiar and introduce and practise new skills. Creating a context through illustrations and introducing a skill to practise while singing rhymes can en-hance children's understanding of the rhyme and extend their experience.

Poetry pockets can encourage children to 'read' visual symbols while taking an active role in the story within the rhyme. They can introduce children to an awareness of words and letter sounds, and help them develop active listening skills while challenging them to reflect on the story.

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