Telling stories to young children fosters intimacy as well as developing communication skills and introducing literacy, says Jennie Lindon
A few years ago I was at a conference where there was a storyteller. I admit, for a moment I thought, 'Why have they organised a storyteller for adults?' But once the storyteller started, he engaged us immediately. It was such a pleasure to experience how he used gesture, expression, tone and pause, as well as very absorbing story lines. Oral storytelling has a long tradition in many cultures and it persists in our technological society because it is such an enjoyable experience for everyone.
Storytelling is part of your close communication with very young children. They enjoy the physical and emotional warmth of all the different ways to share stories.
- You can tell a story supported by a book, held so that young children can see clearly. Good storytelling is for the eyes as well as the ears.
- But stories can also be told without any books. The tale is brought alive by your words, generous hand gestures, an expressive voice and friendly eye contact with a baby or toddler, or a very small group of two-year-olds.
- Poems and nursery rhymes often have a story line and are a natural vehicle for using changes in rhythm, volume and pace.
- Children also enjoy personal stories, drawn from happy, interesting experiences you have had together.
0-12 months
Babies are very alert to your voice and the expressiveness of your face, especially your eyes and mouth. Early interest in narrative develops because you say what you are doing with babies and comment on what they can see or hear in their immediate environment. Babies like hearing you sing and the close communication of chants and rhymes where the words are accompanied by gentle touch. By the middle of the first year, babies can show clearly on their face that they recognise the opening notes or the familiar gestures of a song or rhyme.
1-2 years
Toddlers show great enthusiasm for all the different kinds of storytelling. They make requests, by bringing you a book or using a few words or gestures to indicate the song they want. Young children need to have their requests met now, if at all possible; they cannot wait until later.
You will see how toddlers can follow a simple pattern in a story. Your words and gestures stimulate their developing imagination and you will see how they like favourites again and again. The repetition helps young children to learn and then recognise familiar stories. Toddlers start to chime in with repeated lines and to have a go at the gestures. You will also start to hear toddlers tell stories to themselves using parts of your phrases and even your intonation.
2-3 years
It is important to tell a story in the same way each time, or with only very minor changes. Young children like to have familiar stories told 'properly'. Their facial expressions and words say not only, 'What will happen next?' but also 'When will we get to the bit I like about...?'
Two-year-olds also have the memory skills to relate to family stories about 'When we went to the shops...' They like your help when they want to re-tell their own reminiscences, about, for example, 'When we saw the very big birds in the park'. And you can use simple props or a puppet when you are telling stories or personal tales. Some young children will want you to use the story format for you to retell something that has upset them. This helps them to resolve an event where they have been hurt or a bit frightened. They want the real happy ending too, which might be 'And then we had such a big cuddle!'
When you observe children's pretend play in this age group, you will notice that they use the story format themselves, as they talk for and move dolls or 'small world' figures.
