Storytellers

(Pre-school and Reception)

You will need:

• a story that you can act out, such as 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' or 'The Three Little Pigs' (if you have a great imagination then no books are needed)
• props such as soft toys or puppets to be the characters in your story - everyday items such as wooden spoons could be used for characters too
• costumes - materials and clothes pegs that can be draped around you and your child
• the environment – furniture such as a table with material draped across could be a cave
• sound effects - you could use pots and pans and wooden spoons 

What to do:

• encourage your child to take turns at finishing off familiar phrases
• use an animated voice and facial expressions, so your child can see you getting into character
• act out the story

You can use the pictures in the book as prompts. It's extra fun if you can use the furniture in the room to recreate the places in the book, use materials, puppets or soft toys to represent the characters and yourselves of course.

Storytelling is one thing that you can do anywhere and at any time. Such as:

• long car journeys - you can retell stories and all join in with the repetitive phrases
• walking in the woods – why not story tell 'The Guffalo' or 'Little Red Riding Hood'
• walking on the beach or through the fields – try storytelling 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'

Skills your child will learn

• developing language skills – try to pick out words that children might not already know and have fun putting actions to words
• developing imaginative skills
• building self-confidence