Welcome to storytime with Kate! Hey Educators, I hope you’re all doing well and feeling inspired in your classrooms! This month, I’m excited to share some fresh ideas and resources to help you create engaging learning experiences for your little ones. I will share tools, tips, stories from practice, useful links and answers to your questions. “Puppets allow the child to project their inner thoughts and feelings in a safe, controlled manner. Through puppetry, children can explore emotions, solve problems, and develop their language and social skills.” — Mary Jo Huff, early childhood educator and puppetry expert. Kate's story from practice Let me share a quick story about a class I worked with recently. One day, I introduced a simple hand puppet Baby Wombat Archie, and the children were instantly engaged. By giving the puppet a name and personality, I was able to facilitate discussions, help with conflict resolution, and even introduce new learning concepts—all through the puppet’s voice. It reminded me how powerful a tool like puppets can be in transforming the learning environment. Give it a go and see the magic for yourself! Felt story of the month One of the simplest and most delightful stories to tell with felt pieces is The Hungry Caterpillar. Children love watching the caterpillar grow into a butterfly as you place each piece on the board. This story helps reinforce counting, colours, and days of the week. Tip: If you don’t have felt pieces, you can make your own or even use cut-out pictures. Let the children take turns adding to the story as well! Payhip Product Highlight: Puppets for Teaching in Early Childhood This month, I’m highlighting my course Puppets for Teaching in Early Childhood. In this course, I show you how to use puppets as powerful tools for storytelling and lesson delivery. Puppets help children build social skills, language development, and emotional understanding. Don’t miss out on this resource if you want to bring more life to your classroom interactions! Theorist of the month Thanks for reading, and I hope these resources spark new ideas in your classroom. Stay tuned for next month’s edition, and remember, creativity is key to keeping the joy in learning! All the best, P.S. Share the Love! Explore More on Storykate |
Hello, fellow educators!👋🏻 I'm Kate, an experienced early childhood teacher and tertiary education instructor passionate about enriching early learning. With extensive experience across various roles—from nanny and storyteller to educational leader and early childhood trainer—I bring a wealth of knowledge and innovative teaching strategies to the table. At Storykate, I'm dedicated to sharing engaging educational practices through stories, puppet shows, action songs, ukulele, mind maps and circle games. Whether you're teaching young children or training future educators, you'll find invaluable resources here. I offer a treasure trove of free resources, creative ideas, and digital products designed to enhance your teaching methods and pedagogy. I helped hundreds of students and educators achieve their professional goals. 👇Why Subscribe? Subscribe to get your hands on exclusive content that blends storytelling, puppetry, and music with effective teaching techniques. These resources are perfect for keeping your programs lively and educational, especially during circle time. 🐞Join me at Storykate to explore new ways to jazz up your teaching style and connect with a community of like-minded early childhood educators. Let’s make learning fun and meaningful together!
Welcome to storytime with Kate! Hey Educators! Why do children like to hide in nooks and crannies, sit in secluded spaces? Kate's story from practice: When music is not required As a relief teacher and early childhood trainer, I’ve been visiting different early childhood centres around Melbourne and even beyond. And I’ve noticed something interesting.🤨 In toddler rooms especially, there’s often loud, upbeat music playing in the background during outdoor play. I’m talking about baby shark and...
Welcome to storytime with Kate! Hey Educators! "Writing precedes reading. One who writes learns to read with greater ease and understanding." – Maria Montessori 18 years ago telling children stories and teaching them to read using innovative approach Kate's story from practice When I was working with a group of 4- to 5-year-olds, we set up a soccer goal one day. The children seemed excited, especially the boys, who quickly organised themselves and started a game. One of the girls walked up...
Welcome to storytime with Kate! Hey Educators! How are you? Grab a cup of tea, settle in, and let’s dive into another Storytime with Kate.☕ I am recovering from the operation on the voice chords, which, fingers crossed, can give me the ability to sing and talk without tension soon. Stay tuned and you may watch my new videos with ukulele! I love hot chocolate and all sorts of weird teas, including turmeric latte with almond milk. What about you? Kate's story from practice I started working in...