Storybag Workshops | Storybags
Developed by speech pathologists, the StoryBags highlight to parents and educators the important role of language and literacy in every child’s development.
All children, including those who may not be able to verbalise, benefit from exposure to books and reading to help them develop their understanding of concepts and the place of ‘words’ in communication.
Each StoryBag contains a popular children’s book; objects that match the story line and illustrations in the book; and an information booklet for adults. The booklet helps parents, carers and therapists understand how to use language and play to encourage an active interest in books.
Our speech pathologists who developed this project describe the concept of ‘booksharing’ as a process through which parents can help children make connections between their own experiences and what happens in the story.
The StoryBags are graded for different age groups: babies, 2-3 years, 3-4 years, and 5 year olds.
Storybag Workshops
Our engaging StoryBag workshops are run by the speech pathologists who developed the kits, both of whom have extensive experience in child and community health and particular expertise in early intervention for pre-school aged children. The StoryBag workshops have been developed to suit parents and carers of children in three age ranges: 0-2 years, 2-4 years and 4-6 years.
The workshops aim to engage parents and carers in the excitement of booksharing with their children, through the provision of information, a video demonstration, and sharing books and ideas within the group.
The StoryBag workshops presentations outlines:
- the importance of the adult/child relationship in the development of language and literacy
- understanding the booksharing steps
- the link between booksharing and successful literacy learning
- choosing and sharing books with confidence.
The importance of fun and enjoyment is crucial in a child’s literacy experiences.
In these StoryBag workshops, parents and carers can expect to:
- discover more about brain research in early childhood
- learn about the important links between literacy and development – it’s not just about reading and writing!
- enjoy new ways of sharing books with children
- practise strategies to maintain children’s interest in listening and learning
- gain confidence in choosing books that appeal to children
- observe an improvement in children’s communication skills.
The experienced speech pathologists who developed the StoryBags and deliver the workshops are Sue Gawned and Mary Lee.
Funding was provided by the Education Department (Non-Government Centres Support).
Play Boxes
We have over 20 fun and interactive Play Boxes that contain an exciting range of developmental toys and resources for children of all ages and stages. The
The Play Boxes have been professionally created by an paediatric occupational therapist to target a specific developmental area.
Themes include cause and effect, fine motor, baby play, self-help skills, gross motor, bilateral coordination, stacking, threading, pretend play, matching and concept development.
Written instructions are provided with each activity in the Play Boxes and our helpful Library staff are also available to advise parents and carers on the most effective use of the items in relation to their child’s need.
The Play Boxes were developed by Suzanne Wilkinson on behalf of Noah’s Ark and were funded by the Department of Education and Training (Non-Government Centres Support.
Mobile Toy Library Service
Noah’s Ark provides a mobile special needs library service for families and organisations that are unable to visit our Library in Morley.
Our mobile toy library in WA has a schedule of regular visits to families, schools and communities within a 350km radius of Perth, extending from Moora and Northam through to Margaret River. Clients receive two visits per school term.
Demand for our mobile toy library services is increasing and as more new families, schools and community groups use the service, we will extend our mobile visits to meet the needs of the various communities.
Members in remote areas can place orders here on the Noah’s Ark website for delivery by the mobile service. Schools are now able to pre-order resources in line with the themes and activities of their curriculum each term.
Our friendly professional toy library staff at Morley are happy to provide advice and assist you in selecting the appropriate toys and resources prior to ordering. Just call us on 08 09328 1598.