ABSTRACT
From the moment of birth, we are storytellers. That first look or touch, the start of a lifelong journey of communication. Stories enable us to make sense of storyteller’s lives, their thoughts, ideas, and feelings and to pass on and share their history and culture. As education becomes more and more data driven and there is significant focused attention on closing socioeconomic attainment gaps, storytellers run the risk of forgetting the importance of holistic approaches to developing language and storytelling. Children need rich experiences provided by a developmentally appropriate early year’s curriculum which emphasises play, language and investigation in a context of adult support and guidance, for the urge to communicate in ways which preserve their ideas, in order to develop. Play is a key aspect of Froebelian practice. It is recognised as a central integrating element in a child's development and learning.
