Starting kindergarten can be a big step for little children, but a Darlington Point author has a way to make the transition a little less scary.
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Caroline Tuohey taught the students of Griffith High School how to make picture books, which they presented to the incoming Griffith Public School kindergartners.
The books were designed to soothe the nerves of the anxious children and show them the fun side of starting school, such as making friends and learning new things.
The highschoolers went down to primary school, where they buddied up with the kindergartners to read them their stories and give them encouragement.
They had spent weeks getting feedback from teachers, peers, and Ms Tuohey, refining their books until they were picture perfect.
Ms Tuohey said she was deeply proud of her young proteges.
“The talent at this school is phenomenal; it’s a very clever group of children,” Ms Tuohey said.
“We didn’t have a whole lot of time to work together, but we crammed a lot in and the end result is fantastic.”
Ms Tuohey has published her own picture books for children, and she said she can still remember what it was like to be starting out in kindergarten.
“If found it a little bit frightening,” she said.
“I was the eldest, so everything was new. It can be a little overwhelming for some children and so these little picture books offer a really great tool to support some of the children who might be a little bit anxious or worried.”