Storytelling is a great way to support children's communication and language development, but it can be difficult to know where to start.
We worked with storyteller and performer Niall Moorjani as part of National Storytelling Week in 2024 to discover how to share our stories. We have a selection of videos that will support you to tell and share stories with your child.
Niall has recorded a series of videos with tips and ideas to help you.
What are the benefits of storytelling for young children?
- Storytelling is a great way to grow vocabulary and learn new words.
- It can help to develop listening skills.
- By experimenting with storytelling, children are given an opportunity to develop their language skills including elements like holding a conversation, singing and story telling.
- Motifs of storytelling like repetition and rhyme, as well as the more theatrical use of sound effects to develop the story and add atmosphere to your telling, will support children to hear sounds and understand how language works.
- Storytelling is a great way to develop and encourage children's imaginations. Children will anticipate and predict what might happen next as well as understand where stories might be embellished for added drama or to conjure up a mood, feeling or sense of place.
- Storytelling provides opportunities to talk about and express feelings, perhaps in a way that is indirect so can be more accessible.
- It is a great way for children to build their confidence. Children have fun experimenting and expressing themselves through storytelling and can do this in different ways, by using their voice, facial expression, body language and gestures.
- By sharing our own stories and creating an immersive experience through storytelling, children might become more interested in discover other stories through reading for pleasure. By injecting imagination, creativity and possibility into storytelling, we are opening up an excitement and thirst to discover more.
- Having fun together!
An introduction from Niall Moorjani
An overview of the videos below
Watch Niall's Storytelling Tips Videos:
- Session 1: Telling stories to your child at home
- Session 2: Telling stories with your child and supporting them to tell stories of their own.
- Session 3: Storytelling when you are out and about.
Storytelling can be done anywhere and everywhere; your voice is all you need!
Session 1: Telling stories to your child at home
How can you make storytelling engaging?
Session 2: Telling stories with your child and supporting them to tell stories of their own
What objects do you have at home that could help your child dream up a world?
Session 3: Telling stories out and about
How can you use the world around you to tell stories? Download our walk and talk cards for more out and about tips and ideas.
