Why Local Stories Matter in Early Childhood Education - Place-Based Storytelling in ECE

Early childhood is a remarkable chapter in a child’s life. It is the season where language, identity, curiosity and belonging begin to take root. For years, Telling Your Stories has worked alongside schools and communities to strengthen literacy through local stories. Now, with the launch of our pilot early childhood project at Sparrows Early Learning Centre in Hamilton, we have seen just how powerful this work can be when placed in the hands of our youngest learners and their kaiako.

The Sparrows project began with a simple question - the same question we always ask our schools... "What is it that the children of this place need to know about where they come from" From this question emerged the heart of the project, a story called Cheep, Cheep, Cheep! Sings Our Sparrow, created in partnership with centre manager Becs Pohotu and inspired by the sparrows who lend their name to the centre (and dust-bathe in the sandpit just outside the centre’s doors).

Designed to Strengthen Early Literacy - Authentically

From the start, we wanted this story to feel like home for the tamariki at Sparrows. The writing was crafted with careful attention to rhyme, rhythm and repetition so that children could play with sound and pattern, strengthening the phonological awareness that underpins early literacy. The language was intentionally predictable, giving young readers the confidence to learn, remember and retell the story themselves. Te reo Māori and home languages are woven naturally throughout the text, supporting the diverse linguistic identities that children bring with them each day.

A Rich Story with Foundations in Research and Local History

The challenge when writing for an ECE centre is adding the typical Telling Your Stories depth and value to a shorter text designed for early readers. We thought about what we know about oral language and early literacy - and decided that what we needed to leverage was the un-scripted, conversational, serve and return interactions with tamariki that happen constantly at Sparrows.

We developed the story and images with both text and look-and-find elements, to foster kaiako-tamariki conversation inside of every page of the story. When children learn their story - it's a full experience that:

• strengthens their personal identity and relationships to place

• creates opportunities for exposure to text and the concepts of print

• establishes talk as an important, and a foundational element of literacy

• makes tamariki feel important, that their stories and perspectives are valued and heard

• encourages interaction and imagination - "You found the peach!" "What is that sparrow doing?" "The kids are showing kaitiakitanga!"

Cheep, Cheep, Cheep! is grounded in the real history and environment of the place these tamariki live in. The little sparrow journeys through Hamilton, past bridges, rivers, flora, fauna and the changing landscape of Claudelands that the tamariki see everyday on their way to and from the centre. Every page offers an inquiry window, inviting children to ask questions about what used to be here, who came before them and what stories the land carries. What do they already know? What questions do they have?

To support these big, beautiful questions, we created a rich glossary for kaiako that holds translations, pronunciation guides, historical context and sources. This means that every curious moment sparked by the story can become a moment of confident, informed teaching.

Alignment with Te Whāriki and Kōwhiti Whakapae

This is deeply aligned with Te Whāriki, which positions children as competent and capable learners who construct meaning through relationships, exploration and storytelling. The Belonging, Communication and Exploration strands of the curriculum sit at the heart of how tamariki learn through engagement with their local environment. When children hear stories about their own places, their own histories and the familiar features of their day, they begin to weave together a personal sense of turangawaewae. Their learning becomes anchored in identity, connection and a sense of contribution to their community.

We also drew on Kōwhiti Whakapae, which highlights the critical role of responsive, reciprocal interactions in supporting oral language development, cultural identity and emergent literacy. Kōwhiti Whakapae reminds us that high quality literacy environments in ECE do not rely on long or complex texts. Instead, they rely on opportunities for rich talk, play based learning, repetition and exposure to meaningful words and ideas. A story does not need to be long in order to carry weight. It needs to be authentic. It needs to be grounded in place. And it needs to open up space for dialogue that matters.

By crafting a story that sits at the intersection of play, inquiry, language development and cultural identity, we were able to honour the aspirations of Te Whāriki and the progression pathways of Kōwhiti Whakapae. The book functions as a literacy prompt, a cultural anchor and a relational teaching tool. It enriches the local curriculum not by adding something extra to the day, but by connecting deeply to what is already happening in the natural flow of ECE life.

Launching Cheep, Cheep, Cheep! at Sparrows Early Learning Centre

The launch workshop at the centre was where everything came to life. As Jamie O'Leary and I shared the hidden details inside the story, you could see ideas forming instantly for the kaiako. They spoke about writing their own Sparrows chant with the children. They imagined puppets, magnets, stickers and storytelling corners. Some talked about bringing the peaches into lunchtime menus to talk about the orchards that used to be surrounding their place. Others planned to send the books home to whānau so that the story of their place could be shared, retold and treasured across generations. It became clear that this was not simply a book to be read but a catalyst for play, language, creativity and connection.

Supporting budding personal identities through place-based storytelling in ECE

One of the most moving conversations of the session centred on individual tamariki. The teachers began identifying how particular children might connect with the book based on their fascinations, strengths and personal journeys. They shared ideas about tailoring provocations to suit different developmental stages. Moments like these show why localised storytelling in early childhood is so impactful. It allows kaiako to meet children exactly where they are, using something deeply familiar as the vehicle.

Throughout this process we have seen how place based storytelling strengthens a centre’s local curriculum in a living, breathing way. Sparrows is a passionate community of educators who care deeply about their tamariki and their identities. Their enthusiasm and generosity elevated every part of this project. It has been a privilege to witness how they are weaving this story into their daily interactions, their planning and their relationships with families.

Thank You Sparrows Early Learning!

A heartfelt acknowledgement goes to Becs Pohotu for her leadership and vision, to Kim whose reflections in the testimonial speak to the depth of impact this project has already had, and to our writer Steve Saville who crafted this beautiful narrative with such skill and heart. Most of all, we are excited for the tamariki who will now grow up holding a story that belongs to them. A story that shows them who they are, where they come from and what makes their community unique.

As these children turn the pages of Cheep, Cheep, Cheep, Sings Our Sparrow, they are doing more than reading a book. They are encountering themselves. They are seeing their places, their people, their languages and their stories reflected back to them. And in early childhood, this matters more than anything. When a child can see themselves in their story, they begin to understand that their identity has value. Their experiences matter. Their voice belongs in the world.

For ECE centres across Aotearoa who are searching for meaningful ways to strengthen identity, culture and early literacy and place-based storytelling in ECE the Sparrows project points toward what is possible. When we tell our stories, we do more than create books. We create belonging. We create connection. And we give our youngest learners a powerful foundation to carry with them throughout their lives.