| In every movie or television series, Daddy or | | | | or illustrations. For generations past, children first |
| Mommy always reads a bedtime story before | | | | learned about culture, social values and life |
| the little ones go to bed. Evenings will not end | | | | principles through the simple after-dinner or |
| unless children are tucked in bed a little after | | | | bedtime stories they get to hear. |
| dinner, then Mommy or Daddy opens a book or | | | | Storytelling teaches children compassion. It speaks |
| her memory bank to pick up a story to read or | | | | to them of morality through stories that tell of |
| tell for the night. | | | | the good and the bad. As they listen to stories, |
| By doing so, Daddy and Mommy are following an | | | | children open their eyes to their roles in the |
| age-old tradition. Storytelling was one of the | | | | society and learn more about important life values |
| earliest forms of teaching and encouraging | | | | such as trust, restraint, forgiveness and empathy. |
| children. Storytelling improves a child's creativity as | | | | They learn about respect and patience as they |
| they hear a story without the pictures and the | | | | eagerly wait for Mommy or Daddy to get to the |
| graphics, so they train their mind to come up with | | | | exciting part of the story. They develop good |
| their own images of what they hear. Ask them | | | | listening skills and learn to be a good listener early |
| to illustrate how Cinderella or Snow White looks, | | | | in their lives. |
| and they will all give you an exact image of the | | | | There's really much more to that after-dinner or |
| Walt Disney illustration. But tell them to create a | | | | bedtime story little Junior craves for each night. |
| picture of a lesser known character in a short | | | | Approach each occasion to do such as one |
| story and they will give you different pictures | | | | teaching experience your child will always welcome |
| describing how they individually and distinctly | | | | and use the opportunity to teach him life's |
| perceive each character to be. | | | | greatest values he'll one day put to very good |
| Storytelling develops and trains vision. It does a | | | | use. |
| good exercise at converting thoughts into words | | | | |