Storytelling With Your Child
- Learning Resources Posted On Jan 28, 2021 | Learn
Storytelling is a fun way (and one of the oldest ways) of teaching. Storytelling with your child is a great way to spend time together being creative and discovering more about each other and the world.
One of the great things about storytelling with your child is easier than you think! It isn’t about creating a gripping plot. You tell engaging stories every day without realising, whether it’s telling someone about a TV show or relaying details of birds you saw on a family walk. What matters is that you’re spending time together enjoying a rewarding activity.
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The benefits of storytelling with your child
Storytelling is an important way to develop key skills including:
- Pre-literacy skills including language and vocabulary
- Communication skills
- Active listening
- Empathy
Storytelling encourages children to explore their creativity and imagination. And, in our busy modern lives, telling your children a story at night is a precious bonding experience. Even if you only have 10 minutes, it’s an activity that families can look forward to and enjoy.
Tell me a story…
Image: Getty
Beginning your storytelling journey is easier than you think. A good place to start is with your child’s favourite stories. These aren’t limited to books. Great ideas can come from their favourite movie, TV show, comics, toys, games, or even sporting events. Any topic that engages your child’s attention and imagination will work.
Use books for prompts
Books are an ideal starting block for storytelling. Use your child’s favourites and prompt the process by asking explorative questions such as…
- How would the story turn out if something happened in a different way halfway through?
- Is this character sad, angry, or scared? What would happen if they were happy or brave?
- What happened after the end?
- If the book has a sequel that introduces a new character, what was that character doing in the previous book?
Write and draw stories
Expand the storytelling experience by getting your child to make their own books. This can be as simple as folding a few sheets of A4 paper in half – don’t forget that the cover needs an illustration. Keep your books and build up a family library.
Turn this activity into a fun craft project. Here are some creative ideas on How to Make Books for kids.
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More ideas for storytelling with your child
Writing isn’t the only way your child can tell a story. Try these creative activities for even more imaginative fun.
Get arty
Have your child illustrate a scene from their favourite book, TV programme, movie, or anything else that gets them engaged. Then ask questions like:
- What is happening here?
- What happened beforehand to make this scene happen?
- How does this character feel?
- What happens next?
Create a one-of-a-kind book cover
Get your child to create their own book cover. This could be for their favourite story, or a book they make up. Ask them the same explorative questions. Deepen the engagement by adding their personalised cover to the book. If your child enjoys this activity, you could have them create a library of homemade covers!
Draw a comic strip
Illustrating a story in comic format is a fun way to prompt the storytelling process in your child. Create a blank strip by drawing four empty frames onto an A4 sheet of paper. Keep the strips and develop the story.
Act it out
Some kids are natural performers, so let them tell their stories with their bodies and their voice. Have your child act these out. This is a fun (free) way to keep kids busy and entertained. A dress-up box with clothes and accessories will add another dimension to the storytelling experience. These needn’t be new – they can be your old clothes and shoes read for role playing fun.
Make your own puppets at home
Image: Getty
Puppets are great for children who prefer being out of the spotlight. Use craft supplies such as old socks, popsicle sticks, card and crafting felt. Try these easy puppet-making ideas for kids. Turn an old large box into a stage and have your child put on a puppet show.
Engage in narrative play
Children naturally use their toys to play out their own stories and adventures and engage in narrative play. Encourage this by using the same exploratory questions to encourage your child to relay these adventures to you when they’re finished playing. You could even get them to create their own comic strips or books and for a richer, more personal storytelling experience.
Easy tips to prompt storytelling
Encourage storytelling by using exploratory questions such as:
- How does this character feel?
- What happens next?
- Why did that character say/do that?
- What would you do if someone did/said that to you?
Storytelling with your child is a rich, rewarding experience that helps your child grow and learn. It’s easier than you think. All it needs is time and imagination. Find more ways to explore and learn with Simple Storytelling Tips for Parents.
How to Make Puppets at Home
Learn how to make puppets at home for children's storytelling activities with these easy ideas, and using materials you have at home.
READ MORE
Simple Storytelling Tips for Parents
Storytelling with your child is a great way to expand your little ones imagination, and also a great family time activity.
READ MORE
Tried & Tested - Plot Blocks™ Story Building Activity Set
How did you use the product?
1:1 in a quiet speech and language therapy session, school based.What was the agerange of the children you used it with?
I used these cubes and composite picture cards with KS1 children – aged 6 - 8 year olds as well as a Year 4, 9-year-old.What are the benefits of the resource?
- Very portable – strong, well made picture cards and I put the cubes in a draw-string ‘feely bag’.
- Some familiar and some less familiar scenes which promoted further discussion.
- A fabulous resource to develop understanding and use of ‘narrative’ and storytelling. The visuals were superb at supporting the logical sequencing of events to enable students to a) plan and then b) tell their narrative.
- I used this resource with individual students, but I can easily see how this would be a fantastic resource for group therapy as well; it would encourage and target turn-taking, social skills, focus, eye contact, listening to others, negotiation, vocabulary, narrative, higher level thinking, asking questions and inference…all in one!
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Resource Review – Benefits of the product
- This resource was so interactive, fun and tactile!
- The complete and clear pictures, with good size cubes to roll (for smallish hands). The cubes have a lovely tactile feel that my students really liked.
- I think I would like some more familiar or everyday scenes for younger children eg; fair/zoo/park/football pitch/classroom etc.
- Â Although there were suggestions for ideas how to use the resource, which were easy to follow, I was able to use further ideas and/or customise its use with individual children easily i.e. using less cubes initially.
- The colour coding of the cubes was excellent (as was having the crib sheet on the back of the instructions).
What is the long term appeal of the resource?
One of the most useful aspects of this resource was that it could be used with a huge age range. EYFS students would like the cubes and pictures, my KS1 and KS2 children loved it. I could also see it working well with EAL, KS3 and older students and adults with learning difficulties.Is the product unique?
The idea of story cubes isn’t unique, but coupling them with the overlays is. Very ingenious.READ MORE
