TIPS For Families

Written by:  Janet Hanna, Extension Educator
Source:  NebFact Tell Us a Story!
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension
Building Strong Families

Language and literacy begin with sharing stories, songs and books.  When telling a story, you can talk about:

• Yourself
• The child and her/his experiences
• What the child did today, yesterday or is going to do tomorrow
• The child=s family
• Things you have read
• Things you have seen on television
• Movies you have seen
• Things that happen to you at work
• Stories your elders told you

• Remember that telling stories is about sharing emotions, images, ideas or events.
• Exaggerate your facial expressions and tone of voice B children find stories much more interesting when you are animated.
• Tell a quick short story.  Your stories do not have to be long and detailed; just tell a few sentences about what happened today.
• Keep all the children involved by responding to each one=s verbal and facial responses.
• When reading for one child, allow the child to deviate from the story or the page by making up his or her own story or adding to it.
• Make the story interesting by elaborating and even exaggerating the details.
• Use props B your children=s toys things in the environment, items in the car or the grocery store, even your own fingers can help you tell the story.

Read Us a Story!

The following are strategies to help make the experience more fun and less stressful:

• Determine where everyone will sit.
• Choose a book with lots of pictures.
• "Tell" the story rather than just reading words.
• Repeat or emphasize rhyming sounds.
• Incorporate turn-taking strategies.
• Use the CAR strategy B Comment, Ask, Respond.
• Be sure to include strategies to challenge each of the children.  Levels of questions and comments can range from naming things in pictures to thinking about the future:

  • Naming or pointing to pictures.
  • Describing what is happening.

If you wish to leave feedback about this TIPS for Families, click on the TIPS Feedback Form link below.  For more information on reading to children go to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln publication website at www.ianrpub.unl.edu and click on Families.