New Nursery Programme to Help Children Explore Emotions

Story-led initiative aims to support emotional development in young children

A new nursery programme has been introduced to help young children recognise, name, and manage their emotions through the use of popular stories. Developed by The Story Project, this initiative is designed to support early emotional understanding alongside fostering an interest in books.

Programme Overview

The programme uses storytelling as a tool to engage children in exploring core emotions. By connecting feelings to familiar narratives, it aims to make emotional concepts more accessible to young learners. This approach is intended to encourage children to develop greater emotional awareness and resilience from an early age.

Key Features

• Focus on recognising and naming core emotions
• Use of popular children’s stories to illustrate feelings
• Support for managing emotions in everyday situations
• Encouragement of a love for reading and books

The programme is available through funded places, making it accessible to a wide range of nursery settings. It aligns with early years educational goals by combining emotional literacy with literacy development.

By integrating storytelling with emotional learning, the programme aims to provide a foundation for children to better understand themselves and others, which is considered vital for their overall development and well-being.