Grounded in our own research and development work in multilingual settings as well as the research of others, Storyplay was developed by PRAESA to help transform the literacy learning opportunities of young children from birth to six years old. Storyplay is framed by Tina Bruce’s 10 transglobal principles of early childhood education draws on and adapts Vivian Gussin Paley’s storytelling and story-acting curriculum and Sara Stanley’s work on philosophical play with young children.

The Storyplay approach to early literacy learning:

• Is informed by the understanding that all young children have the right to an education rooted in storytelling and to quality experiences with print in contexts of use.
• Focuses on enabling meaningful and imaginative literacy learning in young children.
• Introduces reading and writing to children in ways that draw on and enhance their oral language.
• Supports and encourages children’s use of imagination, problem solving and play at the same time as they learn essential technical skills.

A growing body of research by applied linguists, educationalists, and child psychologists over the past 20 years has established the educational significance of story-telling and imaginary play in early childhood (Cremin et al 2017). Storyplay incorporates all of the features identified as highly desirable in the research.