Reading with kids

The Power of Stories

How do stories teach anything and everything?

Difficult concepts are often taught using storybooks because they resonate with our emotions and imaginations.

• Books tie us together with those we are similar to as well as different.
• Books take us anywhere in any time and expose us to events and experiences beyond our real lives.
• Books allow us to experience the spectrum of emotions through the lives or fictions of others.
• Critical thinking skills are enhanced through the thoughts, conversations and connections we make with stories.
• Math, science, history, ethics and emotions can be creatively explained through stories.

How do stories impact children?

• Stories are naturally engaging and motivational for children of all ages.
• They allow us to step outside ourselves and experience emotions in a safe zone.
• Valuable lessons are learned and remembered in the process of hearing, discussing and reading a meaningful story.

How do you choose a good story?

• Focus on what you want your child to learn as a starting point for what to read.
• If your child has a difficult time sharing the truth tell him/her the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf by Aesop.
• If your child is having difficulty dealing with a death in the family share Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume or Sarah Plain and Tall, a classic by Patricia MacLachlan.

The importance of discussion after reading a story

• Stories allow for reflection and application to one’s own life.
• Help your child with their critical thinking skills asking them to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate a story connecting those thoughts to their own experiences.
• Be ready to share your thoughts on any book you read together too!

Is there anything else? We want to hear from you? What do you do to promote beginning literacy in your homes? The best ideas are those we share with others.