Telling Stories

“The sun was out and a rabbit was under the sun and an acorn was under the rabbit—a Christmas acorn.” So begins the exciting first page of preschooler Finley’s first book, A Hundred Acorns. As the book continues, the story’s protagonists, the acorns, face dangers: a ghost, a storm in a rain forest, and falling boulders. The plot finally resolves as the acorns escape and glimpse the magical presence of a sloth. Finley was extremely proud of his eight-page literary accomplishment.

This is a great week to celebrate writers and readers at school with librarian Mari Ponghamsing hosting another Book Fair and TK teacher Indi Wibisono debuting the first sessions of the “Writers & Illustrators Club” in elementary aftercare. Preschool is joining the literary bandwagon by inviting children to make books by drawing pictures and dictating a corresponding story.

Room 2 teacher Mimi Davenport was thrilled with the books her students, including Finley, made last week. She has had a lifelong interest in writing and literature and holds master’s degrees in creative writing, English, and early childhood education.

Mimi introduced the bookmaking project by telling a simple story about a bunny before giving the students a stapled blank book. She says, “I told them their story could be about anything, something that happened to them or something made up. I offered the example of my story to demonstrate how their book could have a narrative arc with conflict and a resolution.”

The students were invited to create drawings and dictate a story. Some scribbled and gave words to describe the shapes they made, in age-appropriate ways. Others explored aspects of events from their lives or fanciful tales with imaginary characters. Regardless of the content, Mimi was thrilled that the children felt so empowered to have a book they could take home and share with others.

Asking children to tell a story is a powerful tool for emotional and cognitive development at any age. Children can use the structure of narratives to process, name, and manage complex emotions that they might feel embarrassed about or be unsure how to express orally. Telling a story after a troubling event can help children find ways to calm their fears through a creating a happy fictional resolution, like Finley’s acorns who emerged unharmed through the storm and got to see a sloth.

Telling stories is fun and the process reveals themes in a child’s thoughts and feelings. When a child seems stressed or is struggling to talk about an experience, a parent can ask, “Can you tell me a story or make a picture about it?” Keeping their stories will allow them to reflect on their own growth and development in the future. “I wonder why I was so intrigued by acorns.”