Did you know kids with strong language skills have better communication prowess, high chances of achieving academic success, and the ability to express themselves freely? All this can be collectively used to gain a competitive edge over others. This is one of the prime reasons why we at the Excelsior American School, the best schools in Gurgaon, pay special attention to sharpening children’s language skills from a young age. We believe developing strong language skills can benefit students in various ways. Besides improving communication and expression, language skills also strengthen cognitive development, expand imagination, spark creativity, and improve reading and writing skills.
While there are numerous ways to enhance language skills, storytelling is the best of all. If you start incorporating storytelling in your daily interactions with your children, you can begin witnessing their vocabulary soar, their imagination ignite, and their love for stories blossom. If you have never tried storytelling before and are curious about how to use it to enhance your kid’s language skills, explore the tips shared below.
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Choose Age-Appropriate Stories
Not all kids have the same comprehension level, so it is crucial to begin with stories that are easy to understand. Young children benefit significantly from simple stories featuring vivid illustrations and repetitive narratives. You can switch to stories with complex plotlines and vocabulary once kids grow old. For example, if your kid is a pre-schooler, pick stories like ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle.Â
This story has a repetitive narrative making it easier to comprehend and grasp. The colorful illustrations used throughout the story seamlessly engage children while reinforcing key vocabulary and sequencing skills. You can search for similar stories based on your kid’s age.
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Incorporate Multisensory Elements
While telling stories to kids, our teachers at Excelsior American School see to it that they incorporate multisensory elements to enhance engagement and accelerate language acquisition. You can replicate the same by using props, gestures, and even background music to stimulate kids’ senses while listening to a story. It also helps the story come alive, and kids start enjoying every bit of it.
For example, if you’re telling your kids the story of ‘The Three Little Pigs,’ try using different voices for each pig. You can also stimulate the huffing and puffing sound effects when the wolf’s part comes in the story. All this contributes to an unforgettable sensory experience, helping reinforce language skills like imaginative expression and phonemic awareness.Â
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Promote Story Retelling and Creation
You don’t necessarily have to tell the story to your kids; the reverse can also be as effective. If your kids hear stories at school, ask them to retell the same to you at home. Give them the flexibility to change narratives, as it will help them foster critical thinking, language expression, and creativity. If you don’t get enough time to read a story, ask your kids to read you a story from any book of their choice. They can be encouraged to summarize whatever they’ve read but give them the freedom to create an alternative story plot or ending.Â
This activity will enhance their storytelling skills, nurture their ability to structure narratives and enhance impressive vocabulary usage. A fun tip to make storytelling more effective is to ask your kids interesting questions to create a different story angle. For example, if your kid read ‘The Little Red Riding Hood’ story, ask them what would have happened had the wolf been friendly. Make them think about how a story could change, and let them share it.Â
Conclusion
We at Excelsior American School, regarded as the best schools in Gurgaon, firmly believe that storytelling and language skills are intertwined in a unique and profound way. As children engage in storytelling activities, they embark on a wonderful linguistic adventure that significantly expands their communication abilities, comprehension skills, and overall vocabulary. Storytelling helps children learn how language works while grasping the nuances of syntax and grammar effortlessly. As children try to make their way through the twists and turns of a story, their language, creativity, and comprehension skills sharpen, helping them predict the story’s ending.Â
If you want kids to improve their language skills in a fun, interesting, and effective way, start incorporating storytelling into their daily life. Even if you haven’t done it before, start it from today and utilize the tips shared above to create maximum impact. Storytelling can be the much-needed catalyst required to propel children’s language skills, so take it seriously!
