“Tell me a story,” was a familiar request back in the late eighties when our children were young. They grew up on the stories we shared from our own childhoods. Of course, as my husband was one of nine children, he not only had more, but they were also very exciting stories to share. (Those six boys could really be ornery. I think they had their very own room in the emergency ward at the local hospital.)

The kids became quite proud when they developed memories that turned into stories of their own that they could tell. This was also long before I was aware of the importance that oral language and listening skills play in the development of reading skills. Some may believe that with devices, that storytelling is quickly becoming a lost art. I realize that it is. Just look around anywhere you go, everyone is on a device instead of conversing. Oral language development is a crucial skill as well as listening and thus building schema. This is vital to basic reading skills as noted by many researchers. Thus, I encourage you all to revive storytelling in your home.

Our grandsons are growing up listening to the same stories their parents did, along with stories of their parents when they were young. They love to listen to the same stories over and over again. Recently, we’ve been asking for them to tell us a story, and they are building up their own repertoire. I beg you to not let the art of storytelling go by the wayside, but please revel in it and recall those old favorites stories from your childhood to share.

What’s your favorite story?