Sharing stories with preschoolers can help stimulate their imagination and make them think more creatively about the world around them. Through storytelling, young children can develop language skills by listening and expand their vocabularies as they hear new words. In honor of World Storytelling Day, here are three tips for good storytelling you can bring to your preschool classroom:
1. Engage Your Class By Asking Questions
Storytelling doesn’t have to end when you get to the last page! Ask your students questions about the story to prompt their imagination and keep them thinking. For example, “Where would you go, if you could fly like Peter Pan?”
2. Use Your Emotions to Bring Characters and Scenes to Life
Help your students paint a picture of the story in their minds by using emotions to set the tone and scene for the story. One way you can do this is by giving each character a different voice and personality. This will not only grab your student’s attention; they’ll love the extra level of excitement you bring to the story.
3. Find Ways to Involve Your Students
No matter what the story is about, there are countless ways you can get your students to join in on the storytelling fun! Are there animals in the story? Ask them to give their best lion’s roar! Or maybe there are repeated phrases throughout the book you can have them join in on saying. Whatever it may be, involving your students will make them feel more connected and excited about reading!