As you are watching your child grow, you do a lot of talking and a lot of listening. You want to explain things to your child about how the world functions, you are their guide in their world. It’s important to present your information in ways that your child will remember and that will make a lasting impression on them. Research shows that storytelling is a valuable tool in pursuing this goal. We are Learning Wonder Land Preschool, a day care in West Palm Beach that encourages creativity. We love stories and we thought we’d take this opportunity to talk about the wider value stories can have for all of is.

Brain Development

When someone listens to or tells a story, their brain is activated in many more places than when they encounter a list of dry facts. The parts of the brain that are stimulated by storytelling include:  the storehouses of episodic and autobiographical memory are engaged, the language centers of the brain.

Teaching Moral Lessons

We all want our children to grow up to demonstrate good morals: to treat each other and the Earth with respect. We want them to make good decisions. The saying that you learn everything you need in kindergarten is important here because when our children are young, they are impressionable and we can effect real change in their lives, their minds, their ethic and these will all bare fruit in their lives. Using feeling and experience, people can relate to, and they more effectively integrate the lesson into their ethical life. Parables, fables, and moral stories can take the place of a lecture or a punishment. They can have more positive impact and will be remembered in a better light and so more likely to be followed. The person feels good about learning a new lesson in life instead of shame about making a mistake.

Nurture Rich Imaginations

In an article in World Economic Forum, the topic of skills that will be needed in the future is discussed, and creativity comes in at number three. Creativity is rooted in imagination and imagination needs to be nurtured for it to bloom. We all know that children have rich interior fantasy lives. You can tell by the games they play, the way they can sit and daydream, as back stories they give their toys. As they get older they can write the stories in their imaginations on paper; they can sing them in song, or condense them into poems, or bring them to life on film. They could also imagine cures to disease, new sources of global energy, or the solutions to problems we can only guess at, problems of the future. It all can begin with a story.

Act it Out!

When you act out a story, you are telling you can engage the listener to a deeper level. Your children will watch you intently as you move about the room, changing voices and body postures to transform yourself into the character in the story. Encourage children to do the same! Both boys and girls will love to get up and act out their stories. Let them know that stories are a time for play and they absolutely do not have to stick to facts or reality. Encourage fluffy rainbow unicorn that drives spaceships and shape-shifting puppies.
Stories are fun and educational. We will be sure to cover this creative topic again soon, check back soon for more! In the meantime, if you live in the West Palm Beach area and are in need of a day care, call us to schedule a tour of our facility!