Reading books is one of the most beautiful ways to spend time with a child aged 2.5–6. Although children cannot read yet, from the earliest years they can experience great joy from engaging with books. When a parent or caregiver reads aloud, children develop their imagination, enrich their vocabulary, and learn to recognise different emotions. At Przedszkole i Żłobek Siedmiu Krasnoludków in Saska Kępa (Praga-Południe district, Warsaw), Bajkoterapia (story therapy) is one of the foundational elements of the day — right alongside Circle Time and Positive Discipline.
Children’s books are a true treasure trove — full of colourful illustrations, engaging stories, and characters who become the child’s close friends. Through books, a child can travel to fantastic worlds, meet different characters, and experience extraordinary adventures. And each story read is also a small lesson about values, friendship, love, and discovering the world.
Development through reading
Reading has a tremendous impact on a child’s development. From the earliest years, regular book reading supports language development — children learn new words, understand their meaning, and get to know sentence structures. When a parent reads to a child, the little one has the opportunity to imitate, which supports later development of speaking and writing skills. At preschool, the Jolly Phonics method (associating sounds with letters in English learning) works wonderfully with read-aloud sessions, and play pedagogy in the Klanza tradition turns everyday stories into engaging group events.
Building bonds
Shared reading is an excellent opportunity to build bonds between child and parent. Time spent with a book is special — these are moments that allow us to pause in the daily rush, focus on each other and on the relationship. When a child points to pictures and tries to tell what is happening in a story, they develop not only their imagination but also their ability to concentrate.
Choosing books
It is worth remembering that the choice of children’s books is vast. We can choose from rhyming books, educational tales, adventure stories, as well as touch-and-feel books that engage the sense of touch. This way, every child can find something that perfectly matches their interests and age. In our 3–6 age group we reach both for classic Polish fairy tales (Brzechwa, Tuwim) and for English picture books introduced by our native speaker, as well as short French stories from our in-house Les Petits Français programme.
How we do this at our preschool in Saska Kępa
At Przedszkole i Żłobek Siedmiu Krasnoludków on ul. Irlandzka 7 (Saska Kępa, Praga-Południe, Warsaw), reading is a constant element of every day — from the nursery group through to the pre-school group. Director Karolina Anioła (a certified TUS and Positive Discipline trainer) runs a weekly “Zaczarowane Piątki” (“Magical Fridays”) session, in which the group’s favourite book becomes the starting point for theatre and music workshops — rhythm and music in the preschool are led by Marta Przybylska (Fryderyk Chopin University of Music). We combine Bajkoterapia (story therapy) with Circle Time — after reading together, children talk about the emotions of the characters, which builds school readiness in the area of text comprehension. To support language development, we also use the TPR method (Total Physical Response) — children “act out” the book with their whole body, which is excellent for consolidating vocabulary.
Learning about the world
Reading is also a great opportunity to learn about the world. Books help children understand the diversity of the world around us, teach about other cultures, animals, plants, and about the emotions experienced by story characters. It is a wonderful path to learning empathy and understanding.
Encouraging reading
Above all, it is worth creating a friendly reading space for the child — a corner full of books, with soft cushions and a lamp. When a child sees that books are part of everyday life, it will be easier for them to love them.
Finally, it is worth remembering that a love of books develops through shared experiences. Bedtime reading, telling stories from imagination, or daily discovery of new books — all of this makes a child begin to see books as something special. Every page read is not only learning but also joy and a sense of closeness. If you would like to learn more about how reading fits into our day, we recommend our language education section (Jolly Phonics + Les Petits Français) and therapeutic activities (a speech therapist and hand therapy supporting the learning of writing). You can meet our entire team — including director Karolina Anioła and Marta Przybylska — on the team page.