Story-Telling Benefits

                   (These are just my own thoughts, but I know from research they are well-founded and also proven by linguists and pedagogists alike.)

• It simulates how we all learn languages, natively and naturally: In context, with pictures, repetition, native sentence melody and construction. They don’t have to know consciously they’re learning English, to be learning English!

• Children get involved. Let them hold the book, turn the pages. We all know any interactive learning is the best. After 2 times reading the story out loud in the class (and sometimes within the same class BEFORE you even finish the book), they are already inspired to repeat the catch phrases (repeated phrases) of the book.

• Different methods or learning caters to the different intelligences, rather than emphasizing solely memorization, which traditional teaching methods focus on. It’s the best way to use the CLIL or natural learning methods of combing other interests and intelligences, whilst you learn a language.

• It keeps children (and any people!) way more engaged and more focused for a longer period than non-sequential activities and worksheets. This also helps their actual brain development in other areas.

• It’s the best way to imitate native intonation, melody and pronunciation- Especially rhyming books.

• Helps their pronunciation because it is not a CD- They are watching how your mouth moves to make the English sounds and their brains are taking subconscious notes, whether they know it or not.

• Reading and listening to stories makes you smarter! Proven fact! Your brain is forced to figure out words and structures that are unfamiliar to you. Luckily children do this all the time anyway. It’s also the best way to introduce language because it’s aiding their brain development at the same time.

• It promotes creativity, inspires story-telling and captivates sequential learning- which are all great qualities for their brain-development.

• Helps their memory. They have to be reminded of characters or new vocabulary words within a story and helps develop this skill, as well as concentration.

• Helps to encourage reading for the rest of their life, which we all know aids to their brain capacity and if they learn to love it young, it will actually help their brain keep old age senility and Alzheimer’s away!

• They get excited about story time. I never here them complain like sometimes they can about other school work.
• They naturally try to repeat many of the catch phrases or repeated phrases of the book. It inspires them to express themselves.

•  It stimulates their imagination and creativity.
• Adds to their tranquility- and we all know kids need some ‘quiet’ time!
• Helps them understand patterns better and helps their analytical thinking skills.

• Greatly improves their listening skills- They will hear MORE English when a story is being read then in the normal classroom. It improves their listening comprehension skills in English AND their listening skills as a person.

• They WANT to participate.

•  It’s FUN and each book can be used for many classes- not just 1 lesson. At least 6 lessons! This in the end is easier on the teacher for materials.