1. Storytelling:
A tool for facilitating children’s emergent literacy skills
Ozlem Cankaya, PhD
Child and Youth Data Laboratory (CYDL)

2. Outline Emergent literacy skills Importance of early exposure
Children’s learning profiles in Canada
Storytelling as a literacy tool

3. Emergent literacy refers to the knowledge children have about reading and writing before they can actually read and write.

4. Emergent Literacy – Components
Print Motivation
Vocabulary
Print Awareness
Narrative Skills
Letter & Alphabet Knowledge
Phonological Awareness

5. Importance of Emergent Literacy Skills in Early Years
Early vocabulary 
Grade 4 reading skills
Better reading comprehension
(Sénéchal, 2012; Sénéchal, LeFevre, Hudson, Lawson, 1996; Sénéchal & LeFevre, 2002)

6. Importance of Emergent Literacy Skills in Early Years
Children who are behind in literacy during Grade 1 will remain behind when they reach Grade 4 
More likely to drop out of high school
(Coyne, McCoach, & Kapp, 2007; Sénéchal, 2012; Sénéchal, LeFevre, Hudson, Lawson, 1996; Sénéchal & LeFevre, 2002)

7. Children have unique learning profiles in Canada: Different languages and literacy cultures exist at home and in school.
(Ball, 2009; LeFevre, Clarke, & Stringer, 2002; Sénéchal, 2012)

8. Compared to non-First Nations children, First Nations children in Canada on average: Have poorer reading skills Lower school achievement Lower high school completion rates
(Ball, 2009; Janzen, 2000; Janzen, Saklofske, & Das, 2013; Richards et al, 2010)

9. All young children should be exposed to literacy activities before they begin school.
(Ball, 2009; Sénéchal, 2012)

10. Literacy-related activities in different cultures

11. Storytelling can be used as a literacy tool to bridge children’s cultural, linguistic, and age-related divides.

12. Storytelling Research
How does storytelling and story reading influence language development and story comprehension?
(Isbell et al, 2004; McIntosh et al., 2011; McKeough & Sanderson, 1996; Wellhousen, 1993;
For a review Ball, 2010)

13. Storytelling Research
Eliciting and examining children’s storytelling
(a) tell an original story with no prop
(b) tell a story from a single picture
(c) draw a picture and tell a story
(Wellhousen, 1993; Isbell et al, 2004; McIntosh et al., 2011; McKeough & Sanderson, 1996)

14. Storytelling Research with Aboriginal Children
Moe the Mouse Program
A culturally responsive speech and language intervention
Story Thinking Programme
Children are helped to create cohesive stories individually and in groups.
(McIntosh et al., 2011; McKeough et al., 1995; See Ball, 2010)

15. Storytelling Research with Aboriginal Children
Aboriginal Head Start On-Reserve
Implemented storytelling and other elements into the curriculum.
(Ball; 2009; Health Canada, 2010; McIntosh et al., 2011)

16. Storytelling promotes early literacy skills, in particular vocabulary and comprehension.
(Ball, 2009)

17. (Craig et al., 2001; Miller & Pennycuff, 2008)

18. Take home message
Expose young children to a variety of literacy activities, particularly to storytelling.

19. Questions?

20. haathi ki mitratha

21. Storytelling

22. Letter & Alphabet Knowledge
Emergent Literacy – Components
Print Motivation
Being interested in and enjoying books
Vocabulary
Story Telling Skills
Print Awareness
Sound Awareness
Letter & Alphabet Knowledge

23. Letter & Alphabet Knowledge
Emergent Literacy – Components
Print Motivation
Vocabulary
Knowing the names of things
Story Telling Skills
Print Awareness
Sound Awareness
Letter & Alphabet Knowledge

24. Letter & Alphabet Knowledge
Emergent Literacy – Components
Print Motivation
Being able to describe things and events to tell stories
Vocabulary
Story Telling Skills
Print Awareness
Sound Awareness
Letter & Alphabet Knowledge

25. Letter & Alphabet Knowledge
Emergent Literacy – Components
Print Motivation
Vocabulary
Story Telling Skills
Print Awareness
Noticing print
Knowing how to handle a book
Knowing how to follow words on a page
Sound Awareness
Letter & Alphabet Knowledge

26. Letter & Alphabet Knowledge
Emergent Literacy – Components
Print Motivation
Vocabulary
Story Telling Skills
Be able to understand how words are made up of sounds
Print Awareness
Sound Awareness
Letter & Alphabet Knowledge

27. CAT
[kat]
CHILD
[chī(-ə)ld]
For Example: Letter C

28. Letter & Alphabet Knowledge
Emergent Literacy – Components
Print Motivation
Vocabulary
Understand letters are different from each other
Know the letter names and sounds
Recognize letters everywhere
Story Telling Skills
Print Awareness
Sound Awareness
Letter & Alphabet Knowledge

29. Some Storytelling Activities
Initiate a story and stop in the middle
ask questions
ask the child to continue the story
Encourage children to talk about same experiences with two different audiences
tell younger siblings vs. parents
Chose a character and build a story

30. Adopted from Sénéchal, M. (2012)
Adopted from Sénéchal, M. (2012). Language & literacy development at home. In B. H. Wasik (Ed.) Handbook on Family Literacy (Chapter 3). New York: Rouletge.

32. Child & Youth Data Laboratory (CYDL) Links and analyzes administrative data from Government of Alberta ministries.

33. CYDL’s Longitudinal Project
Service-Use Data from 2005 to 2011

34. Two million individuals
0- to 30-year-olds
five ministries

35. Educational Achievement
Ministry of Education
School - Grade 3
Educational Achievement
Ministry of Health
Hospital
Birth weight
What is the relationship between birth weight and educational achievement?