Telling Families Stories

Telling Families Stories (for children ages 3 to 6)

Telling family stories lets your child know about the people who are important to him. They also give him an idea of how one thing leads to another in a story.

The first activities in the list below work well with younger children. As your child grows older, the later activities let him do more. But keep doing the first ones as long as he enjoys them.

• Tell your child stories about your parents and grandparents or about others who are special to you and your family. You might put these stories in a book and add old photographs.
  
• Think out loud about when you were little. Make a story out of something that happened, such as a family trip, a birthday party, or when you lost your first tooth.

• Have your child tell you stories about what he did on special days, such as holidays, birthdays, and family vacations.
  

• If you go on a trip, write a trip journal with your child to make a new family story. Take photographs of special events. Writing down special events and pasting photographs of the events in the journal will tie the family story to a written history. You can also include everyday trips, such as going to the grocery store or the park.

The storyteller’s voice helps your child to hear the sounds of words and how they are put together to make meaning.

by Alvin Poh