National Storytelling Week in the UK, is celebrated for a full week in February and takes places in all sorts of places. Stories are chosen and are told in a magical way between the teller and the listener. It's a fantastic way for people to share their own story, or even invent something entirely new (and endlessly entertaining). The Jai Jais stories have been told through generations, and certainly bond generations.
Finding the time to read with children can often be difficult, especially with the increase in technology. However, story time is an important part of a child’s life.
As a parent, there are plenty of ways that you could encourage and prioritise storytelling in your home. It gives children the opportunity to express themselves creatively and to expand their horizons with all the new tales they hear and read. So why not give storytelling a go? You can even use The Jai Jais characters for your stories. Here are some things that you could implement into your home:
Set up a regular storytelling time, bring reading into your routine. Let their imagination flow.
Create a reading corner or den for independent reading time. Having a place where children can go to read by themselves without any distractions is a great way to encourage a love of stories.
Make a list of their favourite books and ones they may want to read.
Encourage children to write their own stories and share them. Making up your own stories is an important part of National Storytelling Week! Using story cards and story dice are a great way to start, my boys love mummy’s make up stories.
Show children other ways of storytelling. Books aren't the only medium that tell stories. For example, you could talk about the stories, do some acting a role plays or make puppets.
Read our blog on the benefits of storytelling (Ref: Corners One, Learning Center) link in Bio.
In stills virtues in your little one
Young kids love listening to stories. When you invest adequate time for doing storytelling with them, you are instilling virtues they can carry with them as they grow old. Tell them stories with characters whose values they can emulate or stories with meaningful messages. Taking time to do this inculcates valuable lessons in children and helps them learn about kindness, wisdom, honesty, compassion and more.
Boosts their listening skills
It isn’t always easy to hold a child’s attention for long. Many kids find it hard to concentrate on something for an extended period of time. They either butt in and do more of the talking or their minds end up wandering somewhere else. However, doing storytelling with your child can help improve their listening skills. They will become more attentive and learn how to increase their focus on a certain topic.
Fosters their imagination.
When children listen to a story, it makes them imagine the characters, the plot, the setting, etc. It’s way different from watching something on a screen. Storytelling encourages children’s imagination to run wild as the story unfolds. They can imagine the story however they want it to look like in their heads. It can even enhance their creativity and make them open to new ideas.
Increases their cultural understanding
Telling stories opens the eyes of young kids to new things – places, culture, traditions. It makes them imagine being in the place of the story’s characters which develops their empathy as they try to comprehend their actions.
Enhances their communication skills
Reading and telling stories to children can increase their ability to express themselves. It encourages them to communicate their thoughts, feelings and ideas. When doing storytelling, make sure to encourage your little one to ask questions or discuss their thoughts. As you continue to indulge in a storytelling activity with your little one, they will have a broader vocabulary as they pick up new words.
Help sharpen memory
Storytelling is an excellent way to sharpen your child’s memory. When you read them a story, you can do a review or ask them to recall some of the details. Ask them questions and see how much information they have retained.
Makes learning easier
Telling stories to your little one is a stepping stone for future academic learning. It’s a good way to prepare them for school because it makes learning easier and natural. Like mentioned above, storytelling helps increase a child’s focus and concentration which are very important as they begin attending school.
Improves social skills
Through storytelling, children learn how to pay attention and listen actively to the person talking. They learn to be more patient as they listen to others speak. It also opens their eyes to other people’s thoughts and understanding how each and every person’s opinion vary.
Storytelling can teach young kids so many things about the world and life. It gives them plenty of opportunities to learn wonderful ideas and things they have never encountered before. Given these benefits, parents have all the reasons to spend adequate time telling stories with their kids.
(Ref: Corners One, Learning Center)
Have you seen the Jai Jais podcasts? we have seven great episodes for Raising a Reader and Story Teller. Hosted by Sunita Shah Speech and Language Therapist, and Bijal Shah Bibliotherapist. Available on your favourite podcast platform.
Enjoy Story Tine The Jai Jais Way, Books that Bond.
