"It's terribly kind of you, Fox, but no – I'm going to have lunch with a gruffalo." If you recognise that line, you're likely a fellow children's book enthusiast with a penchant for rhythm and rhyme. Maybe Michael Rosen is your forte, or maybe you go even further back. Maybe you're a Blyton or Potter fan; maybe you revel in classics such as Treasure Island. Whatever your favourite, pass this fondness onto your child and not just the once. The latest research from Ofsted, which has helped to inform the new Education Inspection Framework from September 2019, advocates returning to favourite books over and over again. Gill Jones, Deputy Director Early Education, and Wendy Ratcliff, Education Policy Team, discuss the importance of giving children the opportunity to practice things which includes returning to familiar and favourite books with children so that they get to learn them really well. Repetition is important so that it cements language and turns of phrases that children can go on to use in their own spoken language or in their voice as a writer. So, a great reason to read your own or your child's favourite story over and over again. The full Ofsted Education Inspection Framework webinar and corresponding slides can be found here
