Guest terrydoo73 Posted May 6, 2011 Posted May 6, 2011 Looking for some inspiration. We use a kinder box with 4 sections in it and it is on wheels which can be pushed into a wall or in the centre of the area. We also have a little display stand with a lip on the front that sits on the window sill and radiator cover close to this area where we can place a few books. However we are finding that children will rarely venture into this area, pick up a book and read for themselves - we do include a time towards the end of our daily session and encourage the children to choose their own books, either flick through it themselves or ask an adult to read to them. I just wonder if we should change our display system or do something that would encourage them to use it for themselves. Any suggestions?? I just wonder if it is age related - our children are mostly 3 or 3 1/2 years of age. We have recently introduced a folder system whereby the children can take a selected book home for a week and we encourage the parents to sit down and read it with their child. This has really been encouraging as some of our parents are now asking for additional books each week. We keep a separate list of books for this system.
AnonyMouse_3307 Posted May 7, 2011 Posted May 7, 2011 making it a bit closed off, cushions, soft rug, soft seats, cosiness, making a reading den, torches inside, having comics/catalogues and other reading matter other than story books etc will often encourage children into the space - but adults spending time in there during a session just reading too can often build awareness. Cx
Guest terrydoo73 Posted May 7, 2011 Posted May 7, 2011 Thanks. We do have a lovely couch and one of our children's aunts came in last month and made us 5 beautiful hand sewn cushions filled with beans. We were discouraged from having dens as such as it was felt this could lead to trouble ie children piling up in an area and possible biting occuring. We do prefer it open so we can see what is going on. I might take on the idea of say a rug of some sort although tripping on the edges is sometimes a problem - maybe even put in some comics but it is the displaying of these to encourage them in that I am really interested in - having to put your head into a box does not seem to appeal to my children??
AnonyMouse_3735 Posted May 7, 2011 Posted May 7, 2011 Dens do not necessarily lead to the issues you worry about... give it a go and you mat be surprised at the outcome.... what you think may happen is often something thet seldom does and you deal with it if and when the need arrises... we had for years a wire rack which displayed books face forward.. this is what is recommended rather than a box to display books. we also had the box next to it for more choice, and varied the ones on the display according to childrens needs or interests.. we had an area and the books just outside but we developed the book area eventually to include the books when we could afford a bookcase on wheels ( to a very popular and usable area... all it needed was teaching the children how to use it correctly and we never had any issues in the whole time we used it.. they now have an even more enclosed area for this which still works.. and was in a packaway setting so had to develop an area we could put away easily. Book corner
AnonyMouse_11396 Posted May 7, 2011 Posted May 7, 2011 Hi we have a small lightweight table with chairs think its ELC which we put a small selection on, a wire rack, a book trolley, you could also make some boxes, old shoe ones, and cover them they are good with a few in, maybe sorting them into subject matter again easy to store, lightweight. A small storytime sackbag to explore, they do small bags from the 99p £1.00 shop these might be nice. We often put books into other areas such as small world, cars, farm, to link and extend learning. Dens are fantastic and very rarely have caused the worries, concerns you may have, give them a go you could be surprised
Guest Posted May 7, 2011 Posted May 7, 2011 (edited) We found when our wire stand broke we used some boxes the books were not accessed becuase they were not very visable. We bought another wire stand and its much better, books are visable and easily to hand for the children. We also have a mat cushions small couch it is a cozy area we also put out puppets or soft toys depending on what they have chosen. It is rarely used as a book corner but it is full of children all the time role playing which i love it when they do this We also put books around our setting with small world, construction and we have a book area we set up daily outside We are a pack away too Edited May 7, 2011 by Suer
Guest terrydoo73 Posted May 8, 2011 Posted May 8, 2011 This is what we have on our radiator covers and window sills in addition to a 3 tier book stand where we can set books on their ends but nothing seems to attract the children. We also have these display stands in our other areas ie jigsaw/threading, small world and construction and home areas but we rarely see the children using them. On advice from our Early Years Advisor regarding a child not settling easily every morning we tried to use the method of getting the child to choose a book before leaving us each day and we then take the child to that area at the start of the following day. It has worked in settling the child but it is getting him out of the area to move onto playing on his own - seems to be adult dependent. Even though a member of staff is in the area reading to the child no other children join her to hear the story! http://www.nurserysurplus.co.uk/productinf...catref=NS803329
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