Sharing stories in the classroom and at home is the most important way to support literacy, according to Gordon Wells, who conducted a 10-year study of oral language development in the home and at school at the University of California at Santa Cruz.
“Constructing stories in the mind — or storytelling, as it has been called — is one of the most fundamental means of making meaning. Whether at home or at work, in the playground or in the club, it is very largely through such impromptu exchanges of stories that each of us is inducted into our culture and comes to take on its beliefs and values as our own.”
Lucy Calkins agrees in her book Raising Lifelong Learners saying, “Invitations to tell stories matter… Children need to be inducted into the tradition of reliving and rethinking moments of their lives. This isn’t a minor detail in a child’s education; it’s essential.”
Storytelling is critical at a young age; it shapes the foundation for what they will find to be meaningful. For this reason it is important to always encourage our children and students to share their stories. Developing their minds and helping them learn their values will set them on the pathway to success.
