Promoting Language via Oral

Storytelling

Trina D. Spencer, PhD, BCBA-D University of South Florida

Webinar Tips

1. Close any applications that use bandwidth or resources on your device
2. To submit a question, click “Questions” in the webinar panel and type in your question
3. To minimize the webinar panel, click the orange arrow in the upper left of the panel
4. If you experience computer audio issues, you can switch to “Phone call” in the “Audio” section of the webinar panel and use the dial-in information provided

WHY? WHAT? HOW?

Narrative (aka story) – monologic telling or retelling of a specific event, real or fantasy; causally related events told in sequence

WHY?

Why Oral Storytelling?

Advantages of Oral Storytelling Over Book Reading:

• Families from all SES groups use oral storytelling.
• Do not need to be literate or to have access to books.
• Oral stories are more likely to be child friendly, personally relevant, and culturally grounded.
• Oral storytelling reduces the need for background knowledge needed to understand the story.
• Adults naturally use more sophisticated talk during oral storytelling than they do in shared book reading.
• Oral storytelling allows for more intimate talk around emotions.
• Children whose parents encouraged this type of storytelling have fewer behavior problems and better social skills.
• Oral stories are flexible, adjustable, and developmentally appropriate.
• Easier to repeat, which increases the impact on language production and comprehension skills.

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS

FOR

English Language Arts &

Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

Identify and express mental states and emotions of self and others.

INTRODUCTION

Strong academic oral language is critical for bolstering students’ success in school. Most state educational standards (e.g., Common Core State Standards) include objectives for speaking and listening in addition to reading and writing. These language-based skills are highly interrelated and essential for academic success. Students who do not have an adequate oral language foundation have considerable difficulty meeting academic expectations. Story Champs was developed to systematically and explicitly promote oral language as the foundation to success in school. In Story Champs, academic language is fostered primarily through listening to and producing oral narratives (stories), but informational discourse is also addressed. The organizational structures and complexity of the language used in narratives and informational discourse reflect the sophistication of language that students must read and write in school. Strengthening academic language via oral narratives can facilitate growth in other academic skills such as recalling and sharing information, acquiring word meanings through context, expanding domain knowledge, producing more advanced writing, and comprehending text.

vocabulary informational domain discourse knowledge reading comprehension writing

ORAL NARRATIVE LANGUAGE

ORAL STORYTELLING

• Eye contact
• Emotions
• Turn taking
• Problem solving
• Theory of mind
• Protection

WHAT?

Narratives contain…

• Story grammar: character, problem, feeling, action, and ending
• Complex language: because, so that, when, after
• Modifiers
• Vocabulary: less common, but useful words

K

J Yesterday, Nola was playing on the playground. Some of the children started to make fun of her. Nola felt sad because her friends were being mean. She talked to her teacher about it. Her patient teacher said, “I will talk to them.” After Nola’s teacher talked to the children, they apologized. Nola was happy they said they were sorry.

HOW?

Start with easy stories & build toward more difficult storytelling tasks

1. Use many different stories rather than repeat the same story on consecutive sessions
2. Model child relevant stories with all the story grammar elements
3. Have children retell the stories using all the story grammar elements

J

K Use pictures, icons, props, or gestures to support learning and practicing

Fade the visual supports quickly

Model complex sentences and unfamiliar words

1. Model a variety of complex sentences and unfamiliar words, but prompt children to use sentences that are within their ZPD.
2. Model the sentence and have the child repeat it: "Listen. He was sad because he got injured. Now you say it."
3. Prompt children to use complex sentences and unfamiliar words

“Has something like that ever happened to you?”

“Tell me/friend a story about a time when you were sad/sick.”

Encourage Spillover

• Story grammar, complex language, & vocabulary
• Drawing, dictating, and writing
• Take home telling
• Shared story book reading
• Draw attention to students’ use of complex sentences
• Use the new words intentionally in other contexts
• Encourage children to use and define new words
• Use story grammar to promote social emotional health
• Use story grammar framework to teach problem solving

Comprehension Assessment of Story Comprehension

Carlos and the Big Hill
You are going to listen to a story. It is called Carlos and the Big Hill.

Hmm. I wonder what will happen in this story. Let’s think about the title, Carlos and the Big Hill. What do you think will happen?

Carlos and the Big Hill (continued)

When Carlos rode past his neighbor’s house, he started going down a big hill. Then Carlos’ bike hit a bump in the sidewalk. He fell off his bike and injured his arm. Carlos cut his arm on the rough ground.

Carlos was sad.

His mom gently cleaned his cut. Then she put a bandage on his arm. After Carlos got a bandage, his mom gave him a hug. He asked his mom if she would watch him ride his new bike. She said, “Of course. I want to watch you, but don’t injure yourself again.” Carlos rode his bike so well that his mom clapped and cheered for him.