Tales of Time

Learning to read is no easy task. However, it is the single most important skill when securing our children’s future.

The best time for children to start learning to read is when they are very young, usually at the preschool level. This is when they are best able to start developing basic reading skills.

You may think that learning to read starts with being taught the alphabet and repeating sounds. However, reading to a child before they even understand you, encourages them to make connections between words and meaning.

When you help your child learn to read, you are opening the door to a world of literature and learning.

Reading aloud to children is the best way to get them interested in reading. Before long they will grow to love stories and will want to read or even write their own.

Before a child actually learns to read, they quite like to look at books and pictures and they enjoy behaving like a reader; they may hold the book and turn pages. To move this forward, you can point to the words as you read, showing the direction we read in. You can use your family pictures and memories to retell stories and you can point out words during the day – like those in packaging, signs and logos.

Audio stories and Audio Books are a great way to introduce reading to children as it first introduces the pleasure of the story.

Without yet having to focus on the task of learning to read, children can discover the wonders of narrative and the realms of their imagination.

Audio stories can expose young children to new vocabulary without the stumbling block of long or hard words in the text.

The narrator’s voice will express emotions while reading; fear, excitement, anger, humour… This not only grabs children’s attention but also teaches them about punctuation and voice inflection.

The Storyteller will read the new word with meaning and the child can understand it in the context of the story as a whole. Even if the word is far too advanced, the child can enjoy the rest of story without interruption or frustration at not understanding.

Familiarity of words, their meaning, uses and expression as used by others is exactly how we learn how to use them ourselves and is key to mastering communication and self expression.

Tale of Time offers wonderful Audio Stories for children, packed with sound effects and music to enhance mood and understanding. Great for long journeys or bedtime, Tales of Time offers a great selection of Fairy tales, Poems, Myths and Classics for Children.

We are proud to be part of your child’s education.