A special event is the seasonal storytime, which is very educational as far as kindergarten preparedness is concerned. Other than pure entertainment, purposeful selection of stories can be used to build vocabulary, understanding, and emotional attachment to the surrounding world by a child, particularly during the season. This is a teaching philosophy that is compatible with the Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready philosophy of appreciating meaningful and relatable contexts to construct foundational skills. Seasonal storytime, to the families, is a natural and comfortable way of supplementing the organised language and listening development of Kinder Ready Tutoring, in accordance with the holistic process of Kinder Ready Elizabeth Fraley.
Although it can be incorporated by simply selecting a collection of books around a seasonal theme, say growth in the spring, beach days in the summer, harvest in the fall, or snow in the winter, reading can immediately be made relevant and interesting. This association aids the child to learn the concepts of narrative in a familiar context. The explanation of the transformation that the characters undergo between seasons also creates a sense of sequences and cycles, which is a cognitive skill that is emphasised in the Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready approach of developing logical thinking and pattern recognition.
Interactive reading results in the actual educational benefit of storytime. Predictive questions should occur before each page is turned, such as, what do you think will happen when the pumpkin seed is planted? Recall: Have you heard what the little bear did to get himself ready for winter? Such involvement enhances understanding, recall and critical thinking. These listening and listening skills are the same skills that are strategically reinforced in Kinder Ready Tutoring, and storytime is an effective extension of the practice.
There are also the seasonal stories, which serve as a rich source of vocabulary development. Autumn books may bring in such words as harvest, crisp and migrate. A winter story might dwell upon hibernate, glittering, and blustery. Taking the time to define and discuss these new words briefly in their context develops a stronger and more descriptive vocabulary. This is a deliberate language acquisition that is one of the foundations of the Kinder Ready Elizabeth Fraley approach.
In addition, seasonal storytime is a great place in which social-emotional skills can be fostered. Themes in stories can be of patience (waiting till a seed grows), of endurance (surviving a storm), and of friendship (cleaning the spring of the neighbour). Speaking about emotions and the choice of characters makes a child become an empathetic and emotionally literate person. It is this emphasis on emotional intelligence and narrative comprehension that is necessary to achieve the holistic objectives of Kinder Ready Tutoring and the broader Kinder Ready Elizabeth Fraley philosophy.
In addition to reading a book, making storytime seasonal and interactive makes the experience not just fun but a routine, helping a family develop a love of reading and directly addressing the primary readiness skills. The practice aids the language, cognitive, and emotional development, which Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready determines as fundamental. Combined with the skill and expert-based attention of Kinder Ready Tutoring, seasonal storytime would provide a child with a solid language-rich background that would enable them to listen, understand and articulate themselves effectively, which is an imposing base for their future academic achievements and a lifelong appreciation of stories.
For further details on Kinder Ready’s programs, visit their website: https://www.kinderready.com/.
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ElizabethFraleyKinderReady
