Developing strong narrative skills is important for children’s communication, literacy, cognitive social, and academic development. By learning how to organize and convey information in a clear and logical way, children can become effective communicators and learners. This is important not just for academic success; it also allows our children to develop and sustain meaningful relationships, express their emotions, negotiate terms, and enjoy media and texts.
Communication skills
Narrative skills help children develop their communication skills, including speaking, listening, and understanding. By organizing and conveying information in a clear and logical way, children can communicate opinions, emotions, values, and attitudes in an effective manner.
Literacy skills
Narrative skills are also closely related to literacy development. Reading comprehension depends on the reader’s ability to make predictions and connections within the text to understand causal relationships, and the emotional and internal responses of characters that may not be explicitly stated. These are specific elements that can be found across most narrative types. By understanding the structure of stories and how to organize information, children can better understand and interpret written texts.
Cognitive development
Developing narrative skills also supports cognitive development, including memory, attention, and problem-solving. By remembering and organizing information, children can develop stronger cognitive skills.
Social development
Narrative skills also support social development by helping children relate to and connect with others. By sharing stories and experiences, children can build empathy, understanding, and social skills.
Academic success
Developing strong narrative skills in early childhood can also support academic success later on. Children who have strong narrative skills are better equipped to understand and analyze information in subjects such as language arts, history, and science.