By Sweta Satapathy (Curriculum Research and Development)

Children love stories. So much so that they carry their favorite heroes into their lives, wear capes and yield cardboard swords. But what if story telling could be an experience that leaps out of the pages of the books and lets the children take the wheel with the narrative?

Whether you give the children the character and setting to build upon or see what they come up with, story making could be the exceptionally interactive elements needed to make your classroom come to life.

Classic story telling sessions do not stop. But the learnings go beyond discussions held during picture talk. Children get to exercise what they learn through story making.

Crafting a story requires a surprising amount of brainpower, even for young children. Here’s how story making in preschool ignites a love of learning:

Research: Let’s say your child wants their story to involve a trip to the moon. Suddenly, basic questions about space exploration pop up: “How do astronauts get there?” “What do they wear?”

This sparks a natural curiosity, encouraging them to seek answers through books, videos, or even a quick Google search!

Consolidation and Creative Expression: The research doesn’t stop at gathering information. Children need to process what they’ve learned and translate it into their story.

This act of consolidation strengthens memory pathways and helps them truly understand the information. They get to express this knowledge creatively, shaping a world and characters that come from their own unique perspective.

Information Acquisition and Assimilation: Story making encourages active learning, not passive absorption. They’re not just memorizing facts – they’re figuring out how those facts fit together to create a narrative.

This deeper engagement leads to better information retention, a skill that will benefit them throughout their academic journey.

Weaving Learning into the Story: Let’s Play!

Now that we understand the power of story making, how do we incorporate it into our interactions with young learners? Here are some tips and examples to ignite your child’s inner storyteller, while subtly weaving in essential skills:

Literacy: Let’s say your story revolves around a brave knight on a quest. Ask your child: “What’s his name?” Write it down together.

For younger children, use large letters and sound them out together. This playful introduction to letter recognition becomes an organic part of the story.

Numeracy: Your knight needs to cross a river on a rickety bridge. Ask: “How many planks are broken?” Count them together, or have your child draw them.

This reinforces counting skills in a way that feels fun and purposeful.

Motor Skills: Imagine the knight needs to climb a rocky mountain. Let your child use pillows and blankets to create a climbing obstacle course. Encourage them to act out the scene, developing gross motor skills while furthering the storyline.

The key is to guide the narrative exploration gently, offering prompts and questions that subtly nudge the story in a direction that reinforces the skills you want to focus on.

However, remember to leave enough room for creativity and imagination! This is their story, after all.

Here are some additional tips:

Start with Simple Stories: Keep it age-appropriate. Younger children may be happy with a one or two-sentence story prompt. As they grow older, you can introduce more complex narratives.

Use Props and Visual Aids: Pictures, toys, and even simple drawings can spark ideas and inspire a visual dimension to their story.

Record Their Stories: Let your child narrate their story, or even act it out. You can record it on your phone for later listening. This is a wonderful way to track their storytelling progress over time.

The Long-Term Benefits of Story Making: Building Skills for Lifelong Success:
Story making isn’t just a fun activity in preschool. It equips children with skills essential for academic and professional success:

Research: The curiosity sparked during story making translates into effective research skills valuable in academia and the workplace.

Information Recall: Crafting narratives strengthens memory pathways, aiding in information retention—a skill crucial for exams and real-world problem-solving.

Information Assimilation: Story making in preschool teaches children to synthesize information and think critically—a skill applicable across various fields.

Cohesive Presentation: Crafting stories hones communication skills, facilitating effective presentation of ideas in academic and professional settings.

Incorporating story making into interactions with children isn’t just about fostering creativity—it’s about laying the groundwork for lifelong learning and success.

By embracing this dynamic approach, parents and educators can nurture curiosity, critical thinking, and communication skills in young learners, empowering them to thrive in an ever-changing world.