5 Main Benefits of Storytelling for Child Development

by Oye Akintan on September 09, 2021

If you go back in history, one of the earliest forms of teaching was storytelling. Sharing stories around the fire served as a way for ancient humans to bond with each other, pass on important lessons to the younger generations, and answer questions they may have about the world around them.

Even in today’s modern world, storytelling still plays an important role in education. It gives children a sense of wonder towards the world around them and encourages them to have an appreciation for learning.

How else can storytelling affect the development of young children? Keep on reading to find out.

1. Storytelling Improves Social Skills

Through storytelling, children understand the concept of sitting quietly in order to give the person talking the chance to share their stories. In a simple way, children learn how to be patient and wait for their turn to speak. Aside from this, storytelling introduces the children to group discussions—listening to people’s thoughts and understanding how opinions may vary and why that’s okay.

2. Storytelling Enhances Communication Skills

Storytelling also improves a child’s communication skills. As they listen to storytellers and educators, they also gain the ability to express themselves, whether it’s their thoughts, feelings, or even their own stories. So, if you are storytelling, make sure to engage them with questions and side discussions.

Asking questions about the story gives the child the chance to absorb everything involved in the discussion, develop critical thinking skills, and even add new words to their vocabulary.

3. Storytelling Boosts the Imagination

Effective storytelling gives children the chance to bring stories to life in their imagination. They get to imagine what the characters look like, where the story is set, how the characters react, and how the plot unfolds. The best thing about it is that children can run wild with how they imagine the story to look like. With this, you encourage the child’s creativity and open-mindedness toward new ideas.

4. Storytelling Instills Values and Virtues in Children

Just as the proverb says, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” While your child is still developing their personality, you can use storytelling to instill valuable virtues that they can carry with them as they grow older.

In choosing your storytelling material, consider stories where valuable lessons are highlighted or taught in simple, meaningful ways. For example, take stories where they can learn about honesty, compassion toward others, kindness, and love.

5. Storytelling Helps Sharpen a Child’s Memory

In terms of technical skills, storytelling allows children to develop a sharper memory. To do this, you have to have a review period after each session. Ask your child some probing questions to see how much of the story they can recall and describe back to you.

Final Thoughts

There are numerous strategies you can apply to help your child learn more effectively, and one of the most valuable ones is storytelling. In its simple way, storytelling can help your child develop knowledge, skills, and values they can use in academics and daily life.

Are you ready to start storytelling sessions with your child? Get access to preschool reading books from Kids Plenty today. We designed a 4D Augmented Reality book reading app for a unique learning experience. Check out our available stories like Zeze the Copycat today!

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