Early literacy guide with Tonies Toniebox
The 25th Annniversary of World Book Day is upon us and we can't wait to get lost with you all in the wonderful world of literature!
At Natural Baby Shower, we love storytelling as its such an amazing tool to help little readers. It can even be enjoyed with your little one right from day one thanks to the power of audio with the Tonies Toniebox.
Tonies commitment to encouraging the imagination of children has naturally led to long-term partnership with National Literacy Trust and Twinkl to offer families better support with developing early literacy skills through audio, here's how...
Who are Tonies?
Tonies was founded by two parents who wanted to create screen-free, safe and engaging fun through the art of storytelling. They created the Toniebox in 2015 to be the perfect, hand-held audio device that could bring stories to life when a little character is placed on top of the box.
Today the Toniebox is often seen adorning the shelves of nurseries worldwide and has accumulated over 1 billion of listening hours - that's a lot of stories!
The Tonies Toniebox
Designed from birth onwards, the Toniebox is the go-to audio accessory that should be in every toy box! From soothing sounds for sleep to classic storybook tales, Tonies portfolio of characters provide hours of entertainment.
It's also easy to set up and customisable! The Toniebox can house hours of free content downloaded from the mytonies app all thanks to the Creative Tonies characters which records personalised audio.
With 7 hours of battery life and a soft shell casing, this little cubed speaker is ideal for little listeners to interact with and without the need of prolonged screen-time, it's perfect!
How does the Toniebox encourage literacy skills?
It's amazing how quickly children's brains develop and right from day one we see them immersed in the world around them. It's why the power of audio is so effective for literacy skills, especially in those early days when they have magnificent imaginations! Some of the ways the Toniebox encourages literacy skills include:
- Perfect tool to inspire little imaginations
- Generate an interest in books and pictures
- Follow stories and narratives
- Exposure to a wider vocabulary
- Be creative to play and retell stories
- Begin to link letters and sounds with print
- Independent listening and learning
Key early literacy skills
With the Toniebox, children can discover the magic of reading and listening through a unique audio experience.
Tonie characters also use different voices and accents when bringing tales to life which offer vocabulary in new and exciting ways.
Plus, hearing stories read aloud helps young learners discover how words are pronounced for better comprehension and understanding.
Tonies x National Literacy Trust
In a bid to ensure that no child is left behind and give them the necessary skills they need in school, Tonies have also partnered with The National Literacy Trust with the Tonies’ Schools and Nurseries Education initiative.
This initiative was launched off the back of an NLT survery that revealed 95.6% of children reported that they enjoy hearing stories read aloud to them - showing how it can be beneficial for their literacy development.
Results also indicated nearly 380,000 UK children do not own any books which could impact significantly on academic success in later life if adequate vocabulary wasn't instilled at a young age.
The Tonies’ Schools and Nurseries Education initiative has allowed teachers up and down the country to utilise the power of audio in the classroom. Parents and education professionals alike now agree the Toniebox is an effective tool capable of bridging these gaps through inspiring curiosity in reading among little ones everywhere.
“For children who struggle to decode words, audiobooks and podcasts provide a great alternative to books - children can still be immersed in a narrative, while building vocabulary and improving comprehension.”
- Emily Best, Knowledge and Research Manager at The National Literacy Trust
Want to access free Tonies resources?
Tonies have also partnered with Twinkl; a world-renowned education hub, creating inspiring and engaging materials to help further learning.
From colouring pages to quizzes, Tonies Twinkl content is perfect for learning and calm in the home with captivating audio stories or fascinating fact sheets which can be downloaded directly from the mytonies library! With so much educational fun just a few clicks away, it's so easy to get them spellbound by the world of storytelling!
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