Today we want to share with you why repeating a story to children becomes so important. Believe me, they want to hear it again. I am sure you have heard a child say, “Tell it again!”

 

As mentioned by Sarah Baldwin in her blog, sometimes we forget how much children love repetition. It gives them a sense of security, knowing what comes next, and allows them to take in the story more deeply.

 

She also makes reference to Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education. How he recognized the importance of repetition in learning. When the children hear a story, then go to sleep that night, they  process the story in their subconscious. When the story is review the next day, they connect with the content at a deeper level.

 

 

Certain studies have shown that neural pathways are strengthened when information and experiences are found repeatedly. This means that listening to a story repeatedly is building a child’s brain and helping him learn. Through the rich language of storytelling and the use of repetition, we are preparing children’s brains to be ready for formal learning.

As mentioned by  Marcie Follet in  Storytelling helps develop speech. By being aware of one’s speech when telling a story, adults are modeling clear speech, building a child’s vocabulary and helping them develop language skills. The ability to understand speech comes before reading and writing, so we are exposing children to rich language before grade school.

When we enunciate words clearly, it will help children when the time come for them to learn to spell.

 

Children quickly learn the meaning of words by listening to them repeatedly. Through the rich language of the stories, children are building their vocabularies, they tend to have larger vocabularies preparing them to develop their reading and writing skills.

 

 

There are many ways to share stories with children. Baldwin mentioned that a story can be told through a puppet play with table puppets or marionettes, with movement through circle plays or through acting it out after hearing a story for several weeks.

We will like to share a story with you by Tahnee Moore. We encourage you to tell it for at least for a week to your child. We hope you enjoy  it!