Nursery World - Under cover

Stories, in a multitude of forms, from jokes to gossip, from television programmes to classic literature, play a central part in all our lives. We are exposed to a wide range of them daily and use them to, among others things, inform, entertain and console. Whether fact or fiction, stories provide a context in which we can explore emotions, revisit familiar experiences and learn more about both ourselves and the world in which we live. Perhaps most importantly, narrative helps us to make sense of the human condition - the ways in which we think, how we behave and how we relate to others. They have the power to make us think deeply, to engage a range of emotions and to challenge our beliefs and understandings.

Perhaps most importantly, narrative helps us to make sense of the human condition - the ways in which we think, how we behave and how we relate to others. They have the power to make us think deeply, to engage a range of emotions and to challenge our beliefs and understandings.

It is also true to say that it is through stories that we gain an insight into our culture, our history and our identity. Many stories, which began centuries ago in the oral tradition, have been passed down through generations and teach ways of behaving and give powerful lessons in morality, in a way that is both entertaining and accessible.

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