Case in point

Pam is in her first post as a nanny and her previous work experience was mainly in nursery schools and classes. Pam had always supported the idea of books for babies, but until this job had not really thought much about putting it into practice. She has joined a family with 18-month-old Philippa and Greg, who is nearly four. The children's parents emphasised the importance of a relaxed story time for the children. But Pam wonders how she is supposed to deal with toddler books for Philippa and proper learn-to-read stories for Greg. In fact, she soon discovers that the children do not draw such firm boundaries. Pam encourages the children each to pick a couple of books. Philippa has some favourite board books and Greg is willing to give these time. He is pleased to show he knows many of the simple story lines by heart and recognises certain words. Philippa is happy snuggled between Greg and Pam and pays attention to the stories that her brother loves. Pam is pleasantly surprised to find that an older toddler like Philippa can enjoy a longer tale, read with enthusiasm and given time for looking at the pictures.