The Wonderful World of Stories for Children
Have we ever noticed the sparkle in our eyes and the smile on our face the moment we hear the word ‘Story’? Just the mention of it brings back exciting childhood memories of listening to stories. Stories have been a common language that children understand and are able to relate to across cultures and nations. Certain stories bring back to us our childhood memories when we would listen to the stories narrated by our parents and grandparents. This not only opened a whole new world for us as children but was also a precious time to connect and bond with our parents and grandparents. Stories are like an open playground for our children, giving them opportunities to explore, question, bond with the characters and the storyteller, and develop cognitively and emotionally.
Research indicates that stories lead to psychological and educational benefits in children. They enhance imagination and communication skills in children. Stories have a strong influence on children’s worldview. Along with developing literacy and vocabulary in children, stories shape their values, beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions of reality. The stories that children hear or read have an impact on how they think and behave. Stories help in developing their emotional intelligence and shape their self-identity, understanding of others, and develop empathy. As we begin introducing our children to the wonderful world of stories, we can easily observe how children make meaning and connections on the basis of stories that they hear. Stories fuel their imagination and they begin to think creatively. Stories are a rich medium that enables children to develop problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
As parents, we can make stories a part of our daily routine with children. Any time can be a good time for a story as long as the child is enjoying it. Do not worry if you do not have access to storybooks, you can actually make up a story on your own. Use a language that you are comfortable with and that helps you communicate easily. Along with using voice modulations and intonation while telling stories, making animated faces, and gestures help in creating the children’s interest in stories. Giving children the space to ask questions, share their thoughts, and invite them to talk about what they are thinking helps in involving children in the stories. Do not worry if your child insists on listening to the same story again and again. Their take away from the same story would probably be different each time.
Stories can open up a whole wide world of imagination for children. As we encourage interaction while narrating the story, children tend to think about the various aspects of the story. We can encourage them further by asking questions like how did you feel when ….., what do you think this story means, what was the bravest thing that the character did, does anything in this story seem familiar to you, when have you felt the same way as the character and many more. At times have your child retell the story as this gives them the opportunity to share their own perspective and you would be amazed to see how they have comprehended many different aspects of the story.
To avoid getting overwhelmed with the idea of narrating a story, always remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect. Children love listening to stories and as long as they are enjoying a story, they will definitely make meaning out of it. Kids also enjoy hearing personal stories from your childhood and this helps them connect with you and share a special bond with you through the stories. Let’s introduce our children to the wonderful world of stories, a medium that they relate to naturally. So if we have not yet shared and narrated our favourite childhood stories to our children, it's never too late to start! Let’s unlock the mesmerizing world of stories for our children and gift them a lifelong companion and the eternal power of imagination.