Enhancing kindergarten children’s ability to narrate fictional stories

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Published: Dec 13, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/dial.16130
Keywords:
story structure narrative development kindergarten fictional stories
Ελένη Βρετουδάκη
University of Crete
Ευφημία Τάφα
University of Crete
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an intervention program on kindergarten children’s understanding of story structural elements and their ability to narrate fictional stories. The sample consisted of 56 children aged 5-6 from five kindergarten classrooms in Chania, Crete, Greece. The sample was divided into one experimental and one control group. The intervention program lasted eight weeks. During the program eight illustrated story books were read to the whole class, one book a week. After the story book reading children in the experimental group were trained in narrating fictional stories using a multileveled instructional strategy. In the control group children were read the same eight story books without any specific program to enhance their narratives skills. The results showed that training children in narrating fictional stories helped them assimilate the story structure and apply it effectively when asked to create a fictional story. In addition, children in the experimental group had better performance in all narrative skills than those in the control group. The results showed that the biggest improvement in all narrative skills was among children having low pre-test scores in narrating fictional stories. Finally, children’s improved performance in narrating fictional stories remained after they entered primary school.
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Author Biographies
Ελένη Βρετουδάκη, University of Crete
Νηπιαγωγός, Διδάκτορας του Tμήματος Προσχολικής Πανεπιστημίου Κρήτης
Ευφημία Τάφα, University of Crete
Κοσμήτορας, Καθηγήτρια του ΠΤΠΕ Πανεπιστημίου Κρήτης
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