Ideas to develop a book area in your early years provision

• Is it in the right place?
• Is it in a quiet area away from the home corner, music area or block area?
• Is it an area that is not too busy such as a thoroughfare? 
• Is it always accessible?
• Do you have a book area outdoors as well as indoors?

• Is a home like atmosphere provided for your children to make connections?
• Is there an area where a child can snuggle down to read a book and relax?
• Do you have a comfy chair or a sofa in the area?
• Do you have plenty of soft cushions to curl up on?
• Do you have some small blankets for children to wrap themselves up in?
• Is it a calm welcoming space?
• Do you ensure colours and lighting are carefully chosen to avoid over stimulation?
• Do you have drapes or a den area?

• Are the books forward facing on a shelf or in baskets? 
• Are your books of good quality and match the age and stage of development of your children?
• Do your books match the needs and interests of your children?
• Do they include a variety of hard covers, soft covers, fiction, non-fiction, nursery rhymes, home-made books, magazines, alphabet books, counting books, multi-cultural books, poems, lift the flap and sensory books?
• Does your area contain photo albums and home-made books showing past activities and outings? 
• Do you provide picture books and stories that focus on a range of emotions?
• Do you include books that reflect diversity and inclusion, with plenty of positive images of people from different cultures and in non-stereotypical situations?
• Do you include books that contain repetition, alliteration, and rhyming? 
• Are the books refreshed on a regular basis and do you ensure that there are not too many or too few out at one time?
• Are damaged and torn books discarded?
• Do you rotate and enhance the area regularly, always maintaining the children's favourite books?
• Do you include soft toys and puppets to make stories come alive? 

• Do practitioners model how to look after books and treat them with care?
• Do practitioners encourage children to replace the books after they have looked at them?
• Do practitioners read books with small groups of children or on a 1:1 basis regularly throughout the day?
• Do practitioners read to children in a way that excites and engages them? 
• Are your books accessible so that children can reach/chose them independently?

It is important to remember that books are not only to be found in your book area and can be placed in all areas of continuous provision.