The magic of storytelling

We all tell stories all the time. It is an important part of how we get along with other people. We tell jokes, talk about what we’ve been doing, and make up stories to entertain each other. ‘Personal narrative’, in which children tell stories about their own experiences, is an important part of personal identity. The ability to tell stories also helps children with their literacy development and academic learning. Therefore, it is a good skill to promote, even in young children!

At the tender age of 3, children are not expected to be great storytellers. They live mostly in the moment and need help along the way to be able to remember things that have happened to them. Parents can help promote storytelling skills through:

1. Parent responses. For example, if your 3-year-old says, “We went to Paris,” you might say, “Yeah, we went to Paris and we went up the tower. That was fun. Do you remember going up the tower? There were so many steps. We were so high up! !… What did you see from above?In this way, you are helping him remember the experience.

2. Shared narration. For example:

You start by saying “Tom, wasn’t it fun to go swimming?”

Take nodes.

He adds, “You loved the water, didn’t you?”

Tom says, “I got splashed”

You reply, “Yeah, that’s right. You got splashed a lot, didn’t you? There was a big splash. But you were fine.”

Tom adds more: “I wore my hat.”

He explains again what he has said. “Oh yeah, you had the swim cap on. You were wearing the blue swim cap.”

At this point, father and son are taking turns building a story. The parent actively listens to what the child has said and builds on the child’s response.

3. Props: The use of props, such as photos, train tickets, ice cream wrappers, pebbles, leaves, etc. They help anchor the memory. You can look at them, feel them, smell them, stick them in a scrapbook, and use them as sensory reminders of where you’ve been and what happened.

4. Focus ~ try to make a mental note of the things your child finds most interesting on any trip, rather than what you as a parent find most interesting. For example, if the train is the most interesting part of a trip for your child, pay attention to everything he says about the train, such as “It’s loud!” When you’re sharing the experience together, you can look at the photo you took of the train and say, “Oh look. We went on that train. Do you remember how loud it was?”

These may sound like little things, but if you do them regularly, making them a part of everyday experience, they will support a child’s narrative development. Remember that it is very possible that you are talking more than your child. Remember to balance comments with questions too: it’s better to use more comments and fewer questions. When you ask questions, try to think of a few that you know your child will be able to answer. If he doesn’t answer a question right away, give him some time and then try ‘completing sentences’. For example, you could say “We went on the train to…”, then add “Paris!” Your child will gain a sense of accomplishment and involvement by completing the award and contributing to the story.

5. Share Books ~ Share picture books your child likes about characters and topics that your child finds interesting. Engage your child in the storytelling by asking easy questions and using ‘sentence completions’. For example, you could say “Oh look. He turned into a…” and the child can complete the sentence.

6. Narrative ‘model’ ~ modeling is when you provide the stories and your child can listen, participate and learn. You can comment and embellish the game as it happens. Stories can be very short! For example, during play you might say “Oooh, he’s going down! Uh oh. He’s down.” Or you can create longer stories about toys. Children love stories about everyday experiences, like cooking and going to the park, as well as stories about monsters and other fantasy tales.

Storytelling is magical, so whatever you do, help your child get involved!