Susan Ramsay | Oct 17, 2012


 

“It was a dark and stormy night.” The storyteller’s eyes widen. His words slow. The narrative begins and no one knows how the tale will end.Good storytelling captivates us, sparks our imagination, and shapes our thoughts and attitudes. But good storytelling does not just happen. It is a skill that begins developing at a very young age.According to Alyssa McCabe, professor and researcher with University of Massachusetts Lowell, narrative skills begin in children as young as 27 months old. At this stage children tell one event stories. “Me cat.” is a toddler’s narrative about dressing as a black cat on Halloween.At 3½ years children tell two event stories. “I was a cat. I got candy.” This preschooler’s story includes two exciting events – dressing up and going trick or treating.Children’s narrative skills include more details by the time they are four, but these details typically jump around. McCabe calls this the leapfrog story stage. “I was a cat. Mom was scared. I like chocolate. He stepped on my tail.” If you are the child’s mom you will know that the story describes a Halloween adventure in which another child accidently stepped on the tail of her daughter’s costume while trick or treating. This caused her daughter to fall. Mother automatically gasped and asked, “Are you okay?” Later that night, the daughter sorted her candy putting all the chocolate into one special pile.Soon, however, the story sequence becomes easier to follow, and another feature of storytelling emerges. Five-year-olds realize that stories convey feelings and reactions. These stories are called highpoint narratives. “I really like chocolate. On Halloween I went to Grandpa’s house. He gave me a BIG chocolate bar. On my street they don’t know I like chocolate. I got candy kisses and chips. I got granola bars. Grandpa knows I like chocolate.”McCabe’s suggests that it’s not until children are about six years old that classic narrative skills emerge. Their stories move beyond the emotional high point. A resolution is added. “My brother likes chips, so we swapped treats. I gave him three bags of my potato chips. I got three of his chocolate bars. Now I have more chocolate!”So why do children’s abilities to tell stories matter? Research shows that children’s narrative skills at the end of kindergarten predict reading comprehension as late as grade 7. (Griffin, Hemphill, Camp & Wolf, 2004; Tabors, Snow, & Dickinson, 2001)Storytelling helps children become more self-aware. Through stories children can describe themselves or the other story characters as victim, hero, or observer. Through storytelling they evaluate real or fictional situations, express emotions, and determine possible actions and resolutions. Storytelling helps children think.Adults in children’s lives can nurture children’s narrative skills in simple but important ways:

  • Model storytelling by sharing stories about your day, or by telling made-up stories together.

  • Use mealtimes to talk together. Research shows that the amount and depth of conversation at the dinner table impacts children’s literacy development. (Beals, 2001)

  • Ask children genuine, open-ended questions to get them talking. (Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. Avoid questions to which you already know the answer.)

  • Engage and support children’s storytelling. Comments like “Really?” or “I see” let children know their words and ideas are interesting and you want to hear more.

  • It was a dark and stormy night...and the six-year-old boy leaned forward in his chair to tell Grandpa what would happen next.


Susan Ramsay is the Early Literacy Specialist for Hastings, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington. You can contact her at 613-354-6318 (ext 32)

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