News from the Storyspinner
Told Stories Improve Reading
‘For poor readers, the lessening of tension involved in listening to a story is usually such that they can relax and reflect… They can start to contemplate and store in their minds narrative conventions such as openings, endings, characters, settings and the ups and downs of events in the plot, and they can begin to glimpse the pleasures of story and of language…They can hold their own in classroom discussions that may follow…The told story gives them confidence and understanding of story conventions, and, with appropriate support, this eventually feeds into reading ability’.
Graham, J., & Kelly, A (Eds.) Reading Under Control