Tell me more! How to level up your child's story telling skills.

As we have mentioned in our previous blog post, we want our children to be great story tellers. If your child has successfully managed the 4W1H format, congratulations! Here, we step up to more elements.

Feelings:

How is the character feeling?

This is especially crucial for children with autism to interpret and acknowledge the feeling of upon different situations.

Beginning:

What happen in the beginning?

Problem:

What is the crisis in the event/story?

Consequence:

What is done to resolve the problem, how did the situation end?

Story Mountain (free download link):

The story mountain goes like this: If you have gone hiking before with your child, a mountain goes up and down. As we start walking towards the mountain, it is flat because we are at the Beginning. Then as we walk more, it gets harder and tiring, that is when we approach our Problem. Just like walking up the hill, problem makes us feel (not so good). But as we reach the top of the mountain and walk downwards. It feels easy and not tiring, right? So this is our Consequence, this is when there is our problem is solved.

Modelling:

Like what we did with 4W1H format, we model responses.

While reading/sharing, remind you child where on the mountain we are situated at, the peak? Donwnhill? and what element that is- problem? consequence?

After modelling, begin asking them questions so as to let them ease into this story mountain in a practical way.

HOW: Have them identify the story element as you read or use these story elements as a guide when telling our child to retell a story/talk about an event. Be creative!

*Try to adopt what your child is interested in, e.g. create a story using their favourite toy/their drawing

Start practicing!

As they has become familiar with the template, have them tell you a story while counting down the 4 elements (or pretending climbing up the mountain). Most kids would be amazed by their ability to tell a story themselves and continue creating their own stories!if so, keep going! I have worked with a child who has consecutively created 7 stories after the teaching, they are simple, not logically perfect sometimes, but totally created by her! By the end, she remembered all the elements really well.

The above information is partly adapted from the Story Champ program from Language Dynamic group.

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That is all for storytelling for kids, hope you have all find them useful. Please let me know if there is other approaches or tips you would suggest for introducing our children to storytelling.

Have a great day and don't forget to smile!

Joyce Lau