The Art of Storytelling: Fostering Imagination and Language Skills in Nursery Education

First things first, it doesn’t matter what age you are – you cannot argue that stories and the art of storytelling itself is an intrinsically imaginative activity.

When we read stories or watch them play out in movies or TV shows, we are transported to a world where that story becomes reality for the duration of our engagement with it – that is, an actor ceases to be an actor and becomes a character, and your setting transforms from the chair in your home to the centre spot in your latest favourite book.

This imagination starts from childhood, when fairytales, princesses, pirates and dragons become a part of our everyday existence. From there, it develops and grows - never dulling, but rather fitting in with our experiences.

Telling stories and reading from books is a foolproof way of building language skills, introducing children to new ideologies and ways of communicating, and engaging that sense of imagination which lets the story feel real. More than that, it captivates a desire to think more creatively, to learn and to continue reading, and to find new ways of unlocking that joy we get when we read or experience a really good story.

For nursery children, storytelling introduces them to fictional worlds and inspiring characters, while encouraging them to understand the hidden meanings, morals, and lessons at the heart of those stories. Here’s how we use stories to enrich nursery education at My Ohana.

The biggest selling point of storytelling (beyond facilitating five minutes of peace in a busy day!) is how it allows you to integrate skills-building and life lessons into stories that engage and inspire children. Rather than relegating learning to formal classroom-style teaching, stories allow us to create real-world examples of specific lessons in action, in such a way that resonates and sticks in the minds of children long after the story is over.

If you’re not yet convinced, consider for a moment the number of children’s books and nursery rhymes that have a moral lesson at the end. This is a working example of how storytelling connects seamlessly with a form of learning and education – and is something we seek to emanate both from direct stories and in the curation of creative activities and whimsical worlds.

As well as reading books and inviting children to explore fictional worlds on paper, we also encourage storytelling through play and the formation of our children’s own characters and storylines during inside and outside play.

This, combined with the child-led ethos behind our daily nursery routine, and our emphasis on mind, body, and world knowledge and learning, enables us to create a rich environment where storytelling isn’t just one portion of the day but a major concept underpinning our vision.

If you want to learn more about how a nursery can benefit your child, through a combination of education and creative experiences, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the My Ohana team.