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Benefits of
oral storytelling for children
Children
benefit from listening to oral stories in several ways:
- Imagination: They develop
their imagination because they are required to create pictures in their
minds from the words of the storyteller. This is especially important
in a world where visual images are constantly provided for children.
- Reading Comprehension: The skill of
creating pictures from words is required for reading comprehension.
- Listening: Listening skills
are developed through the practice of listening to an oral storyteller.
Children are given limited opportunities to develop listening skills in
the modern world.
- Language: Children
develop new vocabulary from listening to oral storytellers
- Interest in reading: Children
are often motivated to read after hearing an oral storyteller.
- Cultural understanding: The
traditional stories can offer children a deeper understanding of their
own culture and an understanding of other cultures.
- Stimulates curiosity.
Children often feel a sense of connection to a new word, place or
person they hear mentioned in a story and will seek out further
information.
These are
just some of the benefits of oral storytelling for children.
Perhaps the most important
benefit is that intangible
‘something’ that makes the experience magical,
that
gossamer thread of
connection between storyteller and listener.
Check out
JB's 3
Step Program for children
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