Storytelling comes in many forms. We may recall past events, make up stories, or remember stories from books we’ve read. The act of storytelling helps people of all ages organize the sequence of events, practice grammar and vocabulary, and use their memory. Between the ages of three and four, your child should become more adept at recalling parts of stories. You may hear her repeat different lines of a story during play, or she may jump ahead and tell you what’s coming next as you read. If she doesn’t seem interested in offering information on her own, try asking her about different details of the story to help her contribute. You may even hear some new details that have been made up. This is very typical and may just be a simple mixing up of facts. But it may also show that your child subconsciously understands that a good story could always use a little extra drama and excitement!

Supporting Storytelling Skills:

How can you support your child’s development of this Appreciation and Knowledge of Books and Stories skill at this age? It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Ask questions while you read together.When you read together, stop every few pages and ask your child questions about what has been happening in the story (e.g. at the beginning, in the middle, about the setting or characters, when there’s conflict). Remembering an entire story can be a big challenge, so stopping periodically helps break up the book into more manageable chunks for your child at this age.
2. Act out the story.To help reinforce the story in your child’s memory, try asking her to act it out in part or entirely. This can be done as you read or when the story’s over. If your child is shy about acting out a story, suggest that she uses puppets to represent the characters instead.
3. Make up a story together.If your child has trouble telling stories, suggest making up a story together. Start with a subject, such as her dolls taking a trip to the swimming pool. Talk about the characters and what they would do first. Help your child brainstorm the details of the story: Was it a big pool? Did it have a slide? Was it indoors or outdoors? What kind of bathing suits did they wear? As you tell the story together, guide your child through the story, letting her supply the details.

Developmental Milestones:

Has your baby achieved the following  Appreciation and Knowledge of Books and Stories developmental milestones yet? If yes, check off all the skill(s) he has already mastered to date using Playful Bee’s developmental milestones tracker. It’s absolutely FREE and easy to use, just click HERE!

• Tells you what she thinks is going to happen next in the story.
• Remembers parts of a story.
• Engages in imitative reading

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Playful Bee

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Playful Bee is an e-Preschool that delivers inquiry-based preschool learning from the classroom to your home. Our preschool curriculum was created by our talented team of rock star teachers. With years of hands-on preschool and Kindergarten teaching experience, they've developed a high-quality preschool experience that is convenient-to-use and easy-to-teach by you, grandparents, or your nanny at home.

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