Warm stories that make family reading easy, featuring Sukie: Queen of Cats — helping children feel they belong.
Stories from the Mat, with Jan.
Where families, educators and experts gather to build confident learners from the very beginning.
New episodes weekly.
Listener promise
Short episodes. Warm stories. Practical tools you’ll actually use.
About Jan
I’m Jan Falconer — children’s author and creator of Jan Time reading rituals. I help families and early years settings make reading time feel calm, connecting, and confidence-building — from the very beginning.
Before five, children aren’t just learning skills. They’re learning what learning feels like.
And that feeling shapes who they become as learners.
Welcome to Stories from the Mat, with Jan — where families, educators and experts gather to build confident learners from the very beginning. Here we explore the first five years as the foundation of a child’s identity as a learner — through stories, simple rituals, and practical tools you can use straight away.
What you'll get.
Get the ritual starter
A gentle 7-day guide with prompts you can use tonight — at home or in the early years classroom.
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Simple rituals that make reading and learning feel safe, warm, and doable
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Tiny shifts for home and classroom that build confidence without pressure
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Conversations with experts plus real-life stories from family life