More Than Just Bedtime Tales: How Stories Help Children Learn & Grow

When it comes to ideas for learning, I love simple resources that carry a lot of weight. The kind that can take us off on much deeper learning journeys, go off on tangents and that build up a whole load of skills in the process.

And one of the best resources for doing this is stories. If you've read enough of my posts, you'll know how powerful and impactful I have found stories to be in both the classroom and in home education.

This post goes a little further and explores the role of stories in children’s education and development, why they matter more than ever in a tech-driven world and how they can enrich home learning.

We Live on Stories

Humans are made for stories. They do more than entertain us, they help us make sense of life. Not just in the books or films we watch, but in the little stories we tell ourselves everyday to make sense of situations and to understand what's happening in our lives. Those stories shape our choices, who we are and where we feel we belong.

Stories are such a natural part of being human that it’s no surprise they’re one of the most powerful tools we have for learning and growing.

Why Children Need Stories, Not Just Information

Before children read a single word, they can understand story patterns: the story arc of beginning, middle and end, good vs evil and solving a problem or facing a challenge.

Neuroscience has shown that when we hear a story, our language, sensory, motor and emotion systems of our brain all light up together (you can read more on this here and here). When learning is done through stories, children remember more, understand more and are more engaged than when they just hearing facts and information.

• As a teacher, the most enjoyable and successful lessons were usually the ones centred around stories. Whether it was drama or creative writing in literacy, or biographies showing people's struggles and victories in history, whenever a story was part of the lesson, there was more richness, engagement, class cohesion and better learning outcomes.
• As a parent, aside from reading good books together, I've also found oral storytelling really effective for dealing with daily emotions and moments of friction like getting dressed and putting on shoes, long tiring walks home or when connection is needed. They land in a way that nagging or lectures never do (although I'm definitely guilty of the odd nag and lecture now and again!).
• As a home educator, stories are often the entry point to so much of our learning. I've found that if we start with a good enough story, it takes the learning much deeper and there's more curiosity and engagement.

Stories as a Rehearsal for Life

Stories can be especially powerful for a child's social and emotional development.

Through stories, they practise empathy, decision-making, creativity and how to approach challenges. They get to put themselves in someone else’s shoes and experiment with ideas and emotions safely before trying them in real life.

Last year when we moved to a new city alongside many other big changes in our life, stories of courage and adventure really seemed to help my son process and make sense of big life changes. We talked about how his life mirrored some of the challenges faced by characters and how he overcame them.

These experiences continue the storytelling tradition, showing how stories shape who we are and support growth at key points in life. Many cultures around the world centre stories. In Indigenous cultures especially, storytelling carries history, values and identity across generations, helping young people understand their place in the world.

I feel it's no coincidence that teens and young adults are drawn to story worlds just as life starts feeling bigger and more complicated. Games like Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons or Zelda, along with certain books, films and even the music they listen to, give them a space to take risks, make choices and try out different roles safely.

These worlds often explore important themes at this stage of their lives such as friendship, courage, identity or facing challenges, letting them see themselves in the story while experimenting with feelings and decisions in a safe way.

Tech, AI and why books matter more than ever

Storytelling has found new forms in the digital age and it can feel as though books or long-form articles may not have as much pull as they once did, now that short videos, article summaries and even AI searches provide the information much more quickly.

However, it's also true that good books can be a welcome balance to the increasing fast-paced, attention-grabbing online content. Books require slowing down, staying with an idea, using our imagination and seeing things from others' perspectives.

For children, this depth of attention is powerful and maybe matters now more than ever. It strengthens focus, patience and imagination, giving them time not just to 'look,' but to really notice, pause, wonder and understand.

I've noticed with my own kids how audiobook and movie versions of stories, although just what we need at times, can't compete with reading the actual book. Reading seems to allow something different to happen: they can immerse themselves in the language and the emotional highs and lows in a slower way. We can stop to reflect or discuss things and correct misunderstandings, and also watch characters and settings unfold slowly. This seems to create deeper connections that stay with them.

The Bridge to Literacy

There's a strong link between the early reading of stories, and later writing skills. Stories are foundational to many literacy skills. The nuts and bolts of writing can become dull and uninspiring for many children if they aren't accompanied by stories and ideas in their heads.

I've seen firsthand that children who haven't heard many stories in their early years, or haven't had much practise retelling stories or events, can struggle to write down their own ideas, even if their handwriting is neat and they can form sentences. Whereas children who make up their own stories in their head, but can't yet form letters on a page, are showing writing at its earliest stage

Over the next few weeks, I'll share practical ways stories can support literacy skills in an engaging, simple and fun way, and also show how they connect to other areas of learning.

When children really engage with stories, they start to internalise patterns, structures and vocabulary naturally. They understand story arcs, see how plots develop and how characters grow, and begin to explore language in a playful way.

This is the hidden bridge to literacy: stories comes first, writing and reading follow.

If you'd like some practical ways to support creative writing through stories, have a read of my next post: How Storytelling Builds Writing Skills: The Bridge to Literacy for practical ways to use stories to enhance writing.

You can find more of my posts about stories and writing here and here.