Story Starter Programme
This programme is an opportunity for families to spark the joy of reading before children start school. We want to equip children with resources at our partner schools.
What this programme involves
Welcome families and schools!
Our early years provision includes packs with resources for children aged four to five years-old. Packs have been curated with the government’s non-statutory guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage in mind.
In your pack, families will find lots of resources to ignite a love of reading in your child. We’d love for you to use the book, magazine, stationery and storytelling resources as some fun activities before your child starts school later this year.
Eligibility criteria:
- Higher than the national average Pupil Premium percentage
- Higher than national average Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index
- Lower than national average Key Stage 2 reading results
In your Story Starter Programme pack you’ll find:
- Godfrey is a Frog by Alex Latimer – Godfrey used to be an egg, then he was a tadpole. Now, Godfrey is a frog. He changed quickly and it was all very exciting. He’s waiting for the next change… but it seems there isn’t one. Is this it? Godfrey thinks. It’s not very exciting. Bear has wonderful claws, Deer has impressive antlers, Heron has majestic wings. Godfrey buries himself in the mud and hides away from the world. He doesn’t want to be just a frog. Can Brinley the minnow, Radcliffe the snail, and Penelope the shrimp convince Godfrey that a frog is a pretty special thing to be?
- The Story Corner Magazine – A special Early Years edition filled with stories and activities!
- Filled pencil case - Stationery set including a pen, pencil, ruler and an eraser
- 12 pencil crayons - Try them out with the colouring-in activity in The Story Corner magazine
- Pencil grip - To help little ones start their journey towards writing
- Storytelling cards – Let their imaginations run wild as you create different stories together using the prompts on these cards
- Finger puppet – These lovely finger puppets are perfect for storytelling!
Click here to visit our Kahoot! page that has lots of fun, interactive quizzes to enjoy, with friends, family and classmates! The quizzes include lots of activities linked to The Story Corner magazine. Go to ‘Story Starter Programme activities’, to find quizzes specific to your pack.
Welcome to our Story Starter Programme pack!
We’re so excited to share these reading resources with you and your child as they get ready to start school.
The packs were greatly received by the children. They were are all pleased to receive something and loved looking inside the bag to see lots of different activities/stories; opening the pencil case, using the crayons. The finger puppets were also a big hit and the children loved trying them on. The adults were all amazed by the quality of the bags and the contents within. It made starting school that little bit more special.
My child already had a keen interest in reading and book, and the story pack has just added to it.
We’ve also put together some videos with top tips on how you can use the exciting items in your Story Starter pack.
Listen to author Alex Latimer read Godfrey is a Frog!
Join us for a special reading of Godfrey is a Frog! as the brilliant author himself, Alex Latimer, brings the story to life.
Get creative with Alex Latimer!
Grab your pencils and get creative as author and illustrator Alex Latimer shows you how to draw Godfrey the Frog from his delightful book Godfrey is a Frog!
Reading wordless stories
Discover how you could explore a story without any words with your child, using one of the stories inside The Story Corner magazine.
Storytelling
Learn how to engage children in storytelling using questions and statements.
Fun activities
Explore some activities in The Story Corner magazine and how you could support your child with completing them.
Storytelling Cards
Learn some games to play with the storytelling cards in your packs!
Ask Questions to Spark Imagination
- “What happens next?”
- “Who else might they meet?”
Take Turns
- You can go first, then let your child take a turn being the storyteller, or tell the story together!
- As a challenge, can you add describing words to enhance the story – eg, “Once upon a time, a grumpy cat (Who) on a scary rollercoaster (Where) juggles juicy oranges (What)!”
Add a Twist
- Add more cards for longer stories or pick a new card mid-story to keep it interesting!
- Have all the cards jumbled up, see if your child can put them all in the right categories (Who, Where, What)
Create your own cards and bring your own story to life!
- Give your child some paper and let them design their own cards to add to your set.
Most importantly -
- Keep it playful — there are no wrong answers!
- Let your child lead the story and add their own ideas.
- Use silly voices, sound effects, or drawings to bring the story to life!
Finger Puppets
Look at how to use the finger puppets in your packs to create excitement and joy around reading.
Find out more about our programmes
We partner with schools to develop a whole school reading culture and provide one-to-one reading support.
