Page 21 - teachYourChildToRead

Two years to three years 21

Telling stories

Telling stories to children has been a cultural traditional for generations.
Stories are how our ancestors passed on information to the younger
members of their families. Children really enjoy hearing stories; they
will particularly like you telling them the same story over and over again
especially if they are a character in the story.

As well as reading stories, tell stories to your child regularly. If you don’t
know or remember them, simply make them up. All stories have a basic
structure; so follow these simple guidelines:

Beginning: this is where the characters are introduced, tell your child
who the characters are, where they live and what they do. The beginning
section is also where you introduce the plot.

The middle bit: is where most of the story happens, this is where you
need to tell them what happens - an event or complication occurs. This
section is where you lead up to the climax. It is a good idea to keep your
child in suspense and build excitement about what is going to happen at
the end.

The big finish: a satisfying end to the story, this is what your child will
be waiting to hear. The end does not necessarily need to be dramatic just
that the complication or the conflict is resolved.

When telling stories, just start with a beginning and let the story evolve
as you are telling it. Trying to think of a beginning, middle and end before
you get going often deters you from starting at all.

Puppets

Puppets are a fantastic way to tell stories. Children respond to a puppet
differently to the way they respond to adults or to other children. Puppets
hold children’s attention for longer and also enhance imagination,
creativity and promote spontaneity.