Tell Me a Story

Contemporary research shows that parents who tell and read stories in a rich and responsive way have children with advanced language, memory, and emotional development. Many parents and educators have relied on reading books out loud to children as a way to strengthen their literacy skills, but what they may not know is that family storytelling may be just as important for children's development as reading books. In Tell Me a Story Dr. Elaine Reese explains how storytelling is valuable for children's language, emotional development, coping, self-concept, and sense of belonging. Based on solid research evidence collected over the last two decades, this book shows parents how to maximize these benefits with storytelling techniques that work with children of all ages, from toddlers to teens, and all kinds of children, including children with ADHD, difficult temperaments, and language delays. Reese identifies the most effective ways for strengthening children's language, cognitive, and coping skills and addresses the following questions: How can parents tell stories that matter to children and adolescents? How is storytelling with daughters different than storytelling with sons? How can parents and grandparents share stories that teenagers will want to hear? Why is it a good idea to tell children stories in addition to reading them stories from a book? Parents and grandparents will enjoy Reese's narrative excerpts and storytelling tips and be eager to apply their newfound skills to promote their children's and grandchildren's development and enhance their time together.

Elaine Reese, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. She received her PhD from Emory University and has over 20 years of teaching experience. Dr. Reese is Editor of the Journal of Cognition and Development and also leads the Education Domain of the longitudinal birth cohort study of over 6,500 New Zealand families, Growing Up in New Zealand.