Why stories are important
Why read with children? | Tips for story tellers | Stories help to develop confidence | Babies and Toddlers | Preschoolers | What should you look for? | What parents can do
Stories help children to cope with a lot of their feelings and problems. Story time can be a special caring time which they will remember all their lives. Whether they are the stories you tell or stories in books, stories are one of the ways that children learn to enjoy reading.
Children can also learn that books are a way to find out lots of useful and important things. Many people look back with pleasure on their favourite stories from childhood. Can you remember your favourite story?
Why read with children?
- Reading is something that many of us enjoy and that we all need to be able to do. Every day we are reading signs, labels and directions - not to mention newspapers, books and instructions on how to work the washing machine and video recorder. Letting children see you read lots of different things such as letters, cards, recipes and newsletters gives them positive messages about reading.
- Reading can become a favourite hobby which children can go on to enjoy all their lives.
- Reading and/or story time can be a special time for both parents and children.
- If reading/story time is a warm relaxed time, it helps build good relationships between you and your child and helps to show that reading is a happy thing to do.
- Stories can help children deal with problems and fears.
Note: If you don't enjoy reading or find it a struggle, you still need to show your children that reading is important. You can have books around the house and you can tell your children that you wish you had been able to learn to like reading.
- Showing simple pictures and then saying the name of what is in the picture helps even very young children learn what things are called.
- Children can learn many things from books: about size, colour, shape; about what things look like; and about people.
- They learn about numbers and space. For example from "The Three Bears" they can learn that there were three bears, one father bear, one mother bear and one baby bear. They also learn about such things as big and little and inside and outside. And all this happens without any teaching - they learn it just from enjoying the story.
- Stories help to develop children's imagination. Stories help children cope with feelings When you read or tell a story which contains feelings children learn to accept their feelings and to understand how others feel. They learn that other children may feel the same as they do. This helps them to know that their feelings are OK.
Most importantly your child will thrive on spending time with you. Reading and telling stories to your child can become a very special sharing time which helps them to learn to love books and to develop a sense of being a lovable person. Many children remember their story times for the rest of their lives.
Tips for story tellers
- Whether you read or tell stories to your children you will be helping them in many ways.
- You can get picture books that don't have any words, so you can make up the story from the pictures for your child.
- Follow your child's lead when you are reading or telling stories so they can be a partner in the reading time - read the bits that they especially like over and over again, stop when they want to stop, skip the bits that they want to skip.
- Be guided by your child as to what they like but try out a range of books/stories so they have a chance to explore.
- Lists of suitable books for your child's age can often be found at your library. School and pre-school libraries usually have large selections of books.
- Borrow a number of books each time you go. If your child especially likes one and wants it over and over again, perhaps you might buy it as a gift.
You can also learn to understand how your child feels when you see them respond to the feelings in a story (for example: if they really like the book about the new baby it may be because it has special meaning for them and is helping them with their feelings).
When you read a story to your child it can show that you understand how they feel. For example, if you are reading a story about another child (or animal) who is frightened of the dark, it helps your child to know that you understand that it is easy to be frightened of the dark when you are very young.
Books help to deal with fears. Books about something your child fears can help your child to cope with the fears. Hearing or reading the story many times can help children to manage their fears. You might need to read the same book over and over again if your child wants you to.
Stories help to develop confidence
- Part of building self-esteem and confidence is knowing where you fit in the world. Stories told by parents and grandparents about family history - 'When mummy was a little girl' - help your child to develop this sense of belonging. This is even more important if you have come from another place or your family has been split up.
- Special story time at bedtime is one of the things that can help your child to prepare for relaxed sleep and enjoy bedtime.
- Books can help your child to escape for awhile from the stresses and pressures of their world.
- Browse through bookshops.
- It is the enjoyment of reading that counts. Starting with cheap books from the supermarket is a good way to help children to have some books to 'own'.
- Take your children to a pantomime or children's theatre where they will see stories acted out - or go just for the fun.
- Give your child books for birthdays, Christmas, or just because you want to give your child a special treat. They are great presents.
- Teach your children to value and care for books.
Babies and Toddlers
- Young babies enjoy the warmth of your company and the sound and rhythm of your voice, long before they can understand the words.
- Babies and toddlers can start to learn to enjoy books as you show them brightly coloured pictures and name the objects or sing a rhyme about the picture. They can understand the words that you say long before they can talk.
- Stories need to be simple and short because toddlers have short attention spans.
- Two year olds will often correct you if you leave out a word or will enjoy saying some of the words as they get to know their loved stories.
Preschoolers
- Let your children choose their favourite books or stories.
- You and your child can act out stories.
- Children can make pictures or models of stories.
- Ask your children to tell you a story - and listen to them. Show you are interested.
- Find books that you can start and finish at the same reading time.
- Take your child to the library and let them select some books to read from the section for their age. They may not like them all, but they will probably like some and they are learning to use a library. Ask about borrowing tapes.
- Letting your child choose some of the books to borrow (and choose the stories you tell) will help them to learn that they are a partner in the reading time.
- Don't make story time a reading lesson - it is a time for sharing, relaxing and fun.
- Don't expect too much too soon when your children are learning to read stories for themselves. It is special to have stories read to you at any age.
- Help children find books about their interests.
- Beginning book-readers need books with simple words for success and enjoyment. Books that are too hard can put them off.
- All children are different. Your child might not enjoy the same books or be at the same reading level as another child of the same age or do what his older brother or sister did at the same age.
- Don't worry if your children like comics as they get older - it is all part of reading. Once they are confident readers they are likely to want to move on to reading different things.
- Many children (and adults) like to return to old favourites from time to time, even when they can read much more difficult stories. This could happen especially if they are unwell or unhappy.
What should you look for?
The following suggestions can help when choosing books for your child. Look for:
- books which don't assume that people will act in a certain way - the man does not always have to be washing the car, the woman does not have to be in the kitchen
- books where what happens in the story leads up to the ending (books where the ending is not a shock) - children often enjoy the ending they have been looking forward to more than surprise endings
- a bit of trickery, humour, jumbled words, people getting into trouble - children enjoy this as long as they can see through it
- Interesting words and rhymes - as they get to preschool age children enjoy words and will like stories with some interesting or 'big' words
- attention to detail is important for example: the time on the clock, toothpaste on the toothbrush
- atories about their own hopes and wishes
- stories about things children know about (for example: stories about children of their own age)
- books that explore the unhappy and cross feelings as well as good feelings about a situation (for example: books about moving house should talk about the child being a bit unsure and worried as well as being excited about the new adventure)
- books for young children with happy endings
- fairy stories and folktales. They are usually not too scary for children because they are about 'long ago and far away'.
What parents can do
- Try to make time to read to your child every day even for a few minutes. Bedtime is often a good time.
- If you have more than one child, you can read or tell stories that they all like together (for example: family favourites or stories about your own childhood). It is also good to try to make some time to read to children individually.
- Make a life story book for each of your children to show where they have been, what they have achieved and important milestones. This could include things like photographs of special events, a lock from the first haircut, the first word, the first day at school.
- Talk to your children about the things you read (for example: in the newspaper) so they can see that reading is important for you.
- Take your child to the local library for story telling sessions.
- Find some toys or puppets that are like the people in your child's favourite story to encourage them to remember and play out the story.
- When your child reads the words on a sign or food packet say that you are proud of their reading.
- After a scary bit in a story, stop and let your child talk about it.
- Don't read stories that your child doesn't like. Follow your child's lead about the stories they want.
- Remember that children will want to read more if you let them read what they can choose and enjoy, even if it is not 'good literature'. Children who learn to love stories and reading usually want to read different kinds of books as they grow older.
Last updated: 20 June 2008.