Storytelling, I believe, is quite integral to a child's education, especially when he is very young. It is one activity wherein the older generation passes on the wisdom to the next generation. I have always been very fond of stories right from my childhood. Thanks to mummy, who would tell me a new story almost every day, be it while feeding me or during the bedtime. I was especially fascinated about stories that involved Hindu mythology. It was because of her stories that I had already known about several mythological characters long before they were taught to me in the class and I remembered them all. She would present the stories in such a fascinating and compelling way that I would get lost in them, imagining and sketching out the characters in my mind. My imagination and cognitive skills surely improved with those story sessions with mummy. Now that I am a father myself, I make sure that my daughter too develops an imagination of her own and that is why apart from telling her stories, sometimes I ask her to tell me one instead.
As parents, we should make story time a part of our child's daily routine. The practice of telling stories helps children by improving their cognitive skills, their imagination and creative thinking. Such kids are more likely to become confident learners. Stories also help the kids in developing their literary and comprehension skills. More so when they are being told from story books having illustrations because seeing pictures with names can help them in learning about people and things, about nature, the various colours and shapes etc more easily. I have also noticed that while studying, sometimes children seem to be disinterested about certain subjects or topics but if we try to teach the same topic or about a new thing using an imaginative story, chances are that he will be more attentive and because of the story that we would have associated with the learning part, its memory will live forever with him.
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| Colgate Magical Stories |
The new Colgate Strong Teeth toothpaste comes in four different packs that contain pictures of many sea world creatures. Young children can cut them out and play with them as well as can use them as characters and form stories around them using their imagination. My daughter Aadyasha got so excited on seeing the cut out pictures of sea creatures from the Colgate Strong Teeth toothpaste packs. These days she plays with them and almost every day she comes up with a new interesting story of her own. Last night she told me a story of a young prince Ramato who ventures into the sea in search of the hidden treasure buried in the shipwreck that was lost twenty years ago in the middle of the sea. His father was a pirate and was returning with a huge treasure but unfortunately his ship got caught in a sea storm and he died. While searching for the treasure, Ramato faces many challenges and several adversities but also makes many new friends among the sea creatures and they help him in finding the treasure.
Ever since I gave her the Colgate Strong Teeth packs, my daughter continues to surprise and impress me with her imaginative stories each day. Parents should encourage such activity as telling each other stories during bedtime. The result will be that their kids will look forward to such times when they can relax and enjoy listening to the stories. Gradually they will themselves become imaginative enough to come up with stories of their own. #colgatemagicalstories
