According to Scholastic, storytelling helps kids learn the proper use of language, narrative form and values. As the children listen to the stories, they will be exposed to new words, different ways of phrasing sentences and ways to use familiar words in different contexts.
The beauty of telling a story is that it can be true or made up. When a child tells a fictional story, he must exercise his imagination and creativity. If he’s telling a non-fiction story about an event in his life, he must distinguish what is vital information, what can be stressed and what should be left out.
A well-told story must be fluid and follow a certain sequence. Kids can learn about sequencing as you talk about events that happen before, during and after. These oral stories also incorporate cause-and-effect scenarios, such as walking in the rain will cause a person to be wet or taking an unknown detour can get you lost.
When each child is asked to tell a story or contribute to a group story, this scenario allows them to communicate what they are thinking and what they believe should happen next. They must use proper tone and volume to tell the story. To help the kids evolve their storytelling abilities, explain that they also can use their body movements and facial expressions as they speak. This gives each child a chance to get really involved in the story and makes it a full-body experience.
Every child should be encouraged to participate in the storytelling. This activity can help each child with their public speaking abilities. This group exercise also strengthens the kids’ abilities to take turns, listen to others, be patient, show respect and cooperate.
Each child can take this opportunity to share information about their backgrounds, culture and experiences. This is a safe way for kids to share their uniqueness and learn to appreciate different walks of life. Stress that this is a safe, non-judgmental activity and disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated.
Verbally telling stories can help children develop story-writing skills. As they get familiar with the tone and flow of telling stories, they can draw on this knowledge as they create their own written works. Listening to others' stories can plant an idea for a story or help expand creativity and thoughts.
Learning to appreciate stories can spark an interest in reading. Once children get a taste of the magical world of adventures, quests and history, they may seek out books to fulfill this new interest. This thirst for reading will only strengthen their vocabulary, literacy and language skills.