How Telling Stories Affects Preschool Children
The telling of stories is as old as mankind itself. We have always told stories, even long before we knew how to write them down. Taking the time to read and tell stories to preschool children is vitally important for their mental development. It helps them to not only explore ideas and concepts beyond their normal everyday lives, but also to make sense of the world and its complexities in a safe, reassuring and familiar environment.
Other People Are Reading
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Learning to Read
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Telling stories to preschool children fosters in them a love of "story." Reading books, discussing the pictures and talking about the characters in stories encourages children to learn to read for themselves. A love of books is the first step towards a love of learning. And loving to learn is a sure-fire way of maximizing success in school and beyond.
Learning About Life
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Preschool children can learn valuable social skills when adults take the time to engage them with stories. Stories promote conversation in the form of questions and answers, so children learn how to listen as well as how to express the questions in their minds. Later, in school, the child will already have learned how to sit quietly for story time and how to listen. When the story ends, they will know how to discuss the ideas they have just heard.
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Exploring Danger in Safety
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Telling stories to preschool children helps them to make sense of the world around them. They can be exposed to the concept of bad people or dangerous situations in the safety of their homes. Even simple stories for very young children can explore dangerous or unwise behaviour. When preschool children identify and share in a favourite character's adventures, they learn valuable skills such as how to resolve conflict and the importance of taking responsibility for their actions.
The Joy of the Familiar
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Preschool children love to have the same books and stories read to them over and over again. While it may be frustrating for parents, hearing stories repeatedly helps preschool children to better understand a chain of events, as well as become more familiar with the rhythms of language and word meanings. Toddlers find security and comfort in predictable routine, so hearing the same stories again and realizing it hasn't changed increases their security. Preschool children will know and protest when you skip a bit of their favorite story.
Stories at Bedtime
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Because preschool children feel more relaxed and secure when they can predict what happens next in an established routine, telling stories can be a huge help at bedtime. Choose happy, familiar stories with calm themes so as not to cause excitement. When bedtime is also a time for telling stories, preschool children soon learn the nighttime routine and come to regard bedtime as a secure and comforting experience.
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References
- U.S. Department of Education: Helping Your Child Become a Reader
- Family Resource: Why Reading is So Important for Children
- BrainWonders: Early Literacy, Why Does a Young Toddler Insist on Having the Same Book Read Over and Over Again?
- BrainWonders: Early Literacy, How Can Books and Stories Help Make Sleep TIme Routines More Relaxing
- Photo Credit grandfather read book with children image by Pavel Losevsky from Fotolia.com
