Date for the diary: National Storytelling Week - 1 - 8 February
Diving into shark infested waters, running from angry trolls or taking your pet frog to the shop, at Eduzone we love storytelling! National Storytelling Week is just around the corner and whether they’re telling the story or listening to one, we believe storytelling is a fantastic, interactive activity with lots of benefits for little ones.
The benefits of listening
By diving into the world of a character and focusing on their problems, listening to stories becomes a stress reliever. Whether it is an alligator in the garden or saving a princess from a burning tower, children can escape the real world and be distracted from their own worries.
As well as entering other worlds, storytelling enables the exploration of other cultures and lets the little ones learn about them in an exciting and interactive format. Stories such as Handa’s Surprise by Eileen Browne (167339) are a fantastic introduction to another culture and plant the seed of curiosity to discover more.
What’s most important is the development of listening skills - good stories keep them listening! Asking questions throughout the story about what they think will happen next and why they think characters have acted in a certain way helps to keep them engaged and immersed. We recommend the Brainbox: Once Upon A Time game (185892) as a fun way to test their listening skills.
The benefits of telling
So they’ve improved their listening skills, but can making the little ones the storytellers benefit them? Of course; above everything storytelling helps to boost confidence and build imagination; who isn’t going to feel good when their friends are enraptured by their story? Having the opportunity to speak publically from an early age - whether to one or two peers or in larger groups - enables them to learn of the pressures of speaking in a fun and dynamic way. And when you’re in control of the story, the possibilities are endless!
Giving them the opportunity to tell a story helps to increase their communication skills and develop their language and vocabulary more quickly. Whether it is reading and retelling a story, or creating something from scratch, there will be exposure to new words and new ways to express themselves. We love these outdoor sequencing cards for building these communication skills (Handa’s Surprise – 244872, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – 244880).
And one more benefit, getting them to tell a story may even show who the budding actors are!
Some of our top picks for storytelling:
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Three Billy Goats Gruff puppet set - 149810 |
Traditional Little Red Riding Hood mask set - 047147 |
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Outdoor sequencing cards, We're Going on a Bear Hunt - 244880 |
Outdoor sequencing cards, Handa's Surprise - 244872 |
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Room on the Broom story pack - 234133 |
Handa's Surprise story pack - 167339 |
