StoryPockets: a common third approach Beth Cross, UWS

With Thanks To: Kara Whelan, Michelle Jones, Jane Lockerbie Craigmillar Books for Babies

A child’s journey to reading is, itself, a story. One of the most important stories that will shape their life to come. Early Educators know the importance of capturing this and celebrating it. Storypockets is a simple tool that helps families capture and share the story as it starts.

Why? From telling and retelling stories we create possible learning selves.(Jerome Bruner 2002) Learning identities and the dreams, hopes and fears enfolded within them develop from birth.

Because... Literacy can be about more than books it can be about language play in its many shapes, sounds, and sizes. The more a child’s every day routines, rhythms and relationships of home can be drawn upon in education settings, the easier it is for a child to believe they belong. Storypockets can help this happen.

What is a StoryPocket? An (approx.) A2 piece of card, bottom third folded up and pasted in place, then folded in thirds lengthwise, to create pockets that can stand up and be used as a play backdrop with six panels back and front to decorate.

Who helped create them? Craigmillar Books for Babies Is an early family literacy project that seeks to celebrate the interests and expertise of local families and tap into these assets to develop resources and spaces where children 0-3 can explore books, rhymes and other forms of language play.

Examples of Earlier Projects Myra Robertson Baby Book of the Year Katie Bairdie Scottish Rhymes Collaboration with Itchy Coo Scottish Songs CD with Ewan McVicar Polish Rhyme Cards

StoryPockets developed because we knew there had to be a better way to evaluate the difference the project was making than asking parents embarrassing questions.

The data told us we were doing something right: Craigmillar 2009 Craigmillar 2012 Nationally Less Engaged Nationally Engaged Multiple Times Throughout the Day 65%55%7%37% Once a day14%37%30%46% At least once a day (79%)(92%)37%(83%) Less Frequently 14%8%(38%)14% Response Rates 93%100%74%97%

But we knew it’s important not just what you do but how you do it.

Story Pockets: A Way for Families to tell their Own Learning Journey Story. Families given a three panel card folder with pockets, art materials and small notebook that fits within one of the pockets. Families who have previously developed one talk to other parents about how they have used it. Workshop time with arts materials provided for families to decorate panels after rhyme time sessions on a regular basis throughout the year.

Time taken at Rhyme Time sessions throughout the year for parents to share how their story pocket is developing. During evaluation families give researcher a tour of their story pocket which is video recorded.

Families use the Pockets to draw, stick and paint playful extensions of rhymes, stories and other experiences

To keep photos of special times at Books for Babies events such as when their birthday is celebrated at a rhyme time session.

To record special events like going to the zoo which draw on themes also explored in books and rhyme time sessions

To record special moments when children ask questions, make connections and improvise their own meanings.

Pockets provide opportunity for early collaboration between parent and child. Depicting a fish together. Using eye stickers to place the fish

Moments of Sustained Shared Thinking Episodes in which two or more individuals “work together” in an intellectual way to solve a problem, clarify a concept, evaluate activities, or extend a narrative. This kind of genuine dialogue requires the deliberate creation of opportunity for initiative- sharing and collaboration. (Siraj-Blatchford 2010)

The Community of Practice is as important as the Pocket Learners need: Places of engagement Materials and experiences with which to build an image of the world and themselves Ways of having an effect on the world and making their actions matter. (Wegner 1998)

What did we find? We have a much richer sense of how language play is part of families’ lives. Families talked in depth about a wider range of activities and the emotional significance of this playful learning and discovering together. Families were more able to talk about childrens’ preferences, particularly when their child did not want to sit and read but wanted to learn and explore in other ways. One parent suggested the story pocket would be a better way for her child’s named GIRFEC person to get to know her than the forms currently used.

References Bookstart 2009 Bookstart National Impact Evaluation, on line at: (accessed 15 June 2009). Carr, M and Lee, W. (2012) Learning Stories: Constructing Learner Identities in Early Education, London: Sage. Cross, B. (2010) “Link or Breach? The Role of Trust in Developing Social Capital within a Family Literacy Project”, Policy Futures in Education 8 (5): National Centre for Research in Children's Literature Evaluation of the Bookstart Programme. London: Booktrust. The Scottish Government (2010) A Guide to Implementing Getting it right for every child: Messages from pathfinders and learning partners. Scottish Literacy Commission (2009) A Vision for Scotland: The Report and Final Recommendations of the Literacy Commission December 2009.

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