Preschool Learning: Favorite Story Writing Activity

Of course, we love to hear our children make up their own stories, but today's challenge will ask your child to break out her most favorite book on the planet and tell you the story that she probably already knows by heart. Believe it or not, by reciting a story, your child is learning important skills about READING.
What you need:

• Your child's favorite book (Yes, that's it!)

How to do it:

• Flip through the pages of your child's favorite book, without reading the words.
• Using the pictures as your child's guide, have her tell you the story.
• For older or advanced children: See if he can retell the story without looking at the pictures.
• Be sure to ask your child to describe the characters in the book, the setting and even point out the main problem in the story.

Brain-Building Bonus: Got an actor on your hands? Then gather friends and family and put on a play or puppet show using the book as a guide. Can your child think of new chapters or extra scenes to add to the story?
How this builds brains:In retelling a story, your child's brain has to figure out how to choose between the central story content (the important main parts of the story) versus incidental details (the parts of a story that add personality and character). Getting children comfortable with retelling stories will also help them with their conversational abilities. This especially comes in handy when you start asking them, "What happened at school today?"
Get more brain-building activities for preschool learning! Check out our Brain Building Boot Camp with Dr. Christine Ricci.