At Apple Star, storytime always begins and ends in the same way, just as it does in Saplings and Kindergarten. It offers a way of gently bringing elements of the Early Years rhythm into Parent and Child. Through familiar verses, songs and storytelling, children who later move into Saplings and Kindergarten often experience a smoother transition, as they already know something of the rhythm and atmosphere.

The stories I bring are often seasonal songs accompanied by a small puppet play on my lap. They are short, simple and repeated over several weeks so that even the babies can enjoy them, and parents can easily carry them home and retell them.

In the spring, we followed a mother bird as she built her nest, cared for her three blue eggs, welcomed her chicks into the world, and lovingly tended them until they were ready to fly away. This term, our story takes us to the meadow, where creatures great and small make their homes.

A small piece of wool wrapped around a stick becomes a fledgling bird. A blue silk becomes a flowing river. A cupped hand becomes a nest.

These simple images live within the young child. As they move through their days, they encounter the world around them and find their stories reflected back to them, in birds gathering twigs, a toad in the grass, water flowing through a stream. In this way, the story continues long after story time has ended.

Over in the meadow, In the sand in the sun Lived an old mother toadie And her little toadie one "Wink!" said the mother; "I wink!" said the one, So they winked and they blinked In the sand in the sun.

Over in the meadow, Where the stream runs blue Lived an old mother fish And her little fishes two "Swim!" said the mother; "We swim!" said the two, So they swam and they leaped Where the stream runs blue.

Over in the meadow, In the old oak tree Lived an dear mother bird And her little birdies three "Fly!" said the mother; "We fly!" said the three So they flew and they flew Around the old oak tree.

Anna Schmidt
Parent and Child Teacher