CFE students prepare story sacks for under 5s
GROUPS which cater for the under 5s will be receiving story sacks to help youngsters develop their skill sets.
Each has been prepared specifically around the nursery rhyme that a particular group has worked on earlier in the year.
A States early years eduction working party was set up a few years ago. It uses a multi-agency approach to raise the profile and standards of communication, language and literacy among the under 5s.
A total of 27 pre-schools, nurseries, child-minding groups and Reception classes were invited to choose a nursery rhyme.
They then learned about it and did various work relating to it, including singing it on local radio. The singing was recorded and a disc featuring all the recordings was sent to those who took part. The Guille-Alles Library was also involved in the project.
The College of Further Education’s early years nursery students have now got involved by preparing story sacks which are being sent to each of the groups.
Paula Grady, the college’s early years department programme leader, said she had been looking for more and more live projects for people to get involved with.
The associated puppets, props, masks and other goods in the sacks helped make the nursery rhymes more fun and exciting for children.
‘It’s about keeping the links going and keeping the nursery rhymes at the forefront of people’s minds,’ she said.
Student Chloe Barneby, 17, prepared a bag on Hey Diddle Diddle for Torteval Pre-School.
‘It took about four days to make and at the end I would have liked to have kept it myself for my portfolio,’ she said. ‘There is snap game of memory which helps with cognitive development and masks to enable role play.’
Mia Tapp, 17, had worked on Incy Wincy Spider for Woodlands Day Nursery. The sack featured cards which enable youngsters to jumble up the nursery rhyme and put it back together again.
‘It was really good fun and a chance to be very creative,’ she said. ‘It encourages children to use their emergent literacy skills.
States early years education officer Kate Hynes said it was nice to see the people who are training to be the workforce of tomorrow getting involved with the project.
