Reflect on why teaching with stories can catch the attention of learners and make it easier for them to recall information embedded in stories.

I think a lot of students from an early age hopefully have been told stories either orally or pictorally. I think being able to connect the concept to a story is great as an introduction to the topic. Stories could work for most school grades but I think especially with the younger grades it is one of the most efficient ways to get them engaged with the topic and help them recall the information. There are so many stories out there and there is a story for everything. 

In my practicum I introduced all topics with a story. I even taught a unit on matter and found non fiction stories that were designed for their age group and used examples of different concepts of matter by using materials and objects that the students would understand. Visuals for introducing concepts and recalling information are amazing as well, especially with stories. When it’s a fictional story I find that the students are able to connect to the characters and maybe even the challenges or feelings that the characters are having in the story. I feel as if non fiction is a little harder to integrate into classroom stories and not as easy for students to engage in but after trialing it a few times especially with the younger grades it can be beneficial and build engagement. It helps with variety as well as you could start with a story that could benefit one student’s learning and then move on to another activity or method of teaching to support other students’ learning. In my practicum I found it beneficial for me to read the stories to the students myself but I also found it helpful to find a good read aloud on Youtube to switch it up with the students and help with engagement. Sometimes just introducing a new voice to read the story builds engagement and interest.