Don’t Read Your Child a Bedtime Story
Books are wonderful tools that can lead our children on adventures, teach them moral lessons, and help them discover the complexities of their world. However, the art of storytelling is sometimes left by the wayside and our children then miss out on important academic and social developmental opportunities. Storytelling is a natural way for children to have active engagement of their imaginations and is the perfect way to complement story-reading.
Why Storytelling is Important for Children
When children listen to stories without the aid of written words, pictures in books, or even audio recordings, they are exposed to stories in slightly varied ways that influence how they receive the information and perceive the story.
Storytelling:
- Is an active event, where story reading is more passive. A picture book is presented, with the vivid details of the characters coming to life visually, while storytelling relies more on individuals to use what they already know about life to fill in their own blanks.
- Requires more imagination when there is the absence of pictures. Children must conjure their own images in their minds and create their own unique visual perceptions.
- Allows for the opportunityof children to be engaged and a part of the story. Storytellers are more likely to ask for input with phrases such as, What do you think happened next? and, Has anything like this ever happened to you? Story readers more often follow the written words precisely, leaving little room for interactions.
- Is flexible to the needs of the audience in duration and details. If children are getting restless a storyteller can move on, shortening the details. However, if children are enthralled the storyteller can build on the excitement.
- Is the opportunity for passing on history and heritage. Storytelling has for centuries been used as entertainment as well as historical record keeping methods for preserving the cultural history of groups of people.
- Is the opportunity for children to be exposed directly to the passions and excitements of the storyteller. Storytellers often use memories or experiences around which they build stories.
- Is inexpensive and easily available. Parents can use storytelling to entertain children while driving to a friend’s house, teachers can utilize it in the classroom, and people with specific interests in topics can use it to reach others and share their knowledge and ideas.
- Exposes children to an art form. Storytelling in certain cultures is a revered ability, and the most accomplished storytellers can be synonymous with Hollywood actors of other societies.
The Problems with Storytelling
Research has shown that there is an interesting discrepancy between the types of presentations of stories that children prefer and the actual benefits of what is used. Compare this idea to one where you serve your child vegetables not because it is his favorite, but because you know that there is nutritional value to what you are giving him. In surveys, children tend to prefer media related stories, such as books on audio recordings or those presented online. However, studies show that children who are exposed to storytelling actually have higher rates of retention of details when compared with those who were exposed to story reading or media reading. Children who experienced storytelling were more likely to recall character and plot details.
Choosing the Best Approach
Authors Kaderavek and Justice report that storytelling is a valuable addition to any language and reading program, as roughly 10% of kids do not enjoy being read to (for various reasons), but who will positively accept storytelling.
Like so many things in parenting and teaching, there is no one perfect method that will give children all they need to succeed and thrive. Study after study show that listening to books read aloud have numerous benefits for the language development of children. It is important, however, not to diminish or forget about the contributions that storytelling can have on these same developmental achievements for kids. Active involvement through storytelling allows for children to experience the same story in different ways, stimulates their imaginations, and furthers their language development skills.
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