Story Bags - A Link in the Reading Chain

Are you looking for a fun and inexpensive way to encourage your preschool or kindergarten age child 's reading development? Try story bags. Story bags are bags (homemade or purchased) that contain picture books and several props that pertain to the story. Props may be puppets or stuffed figures that depict the characters in the story. Other manipulatives may also be included. For example, a story bag based on the book, "The Hungry Caterpillar" might, in addition to the caterpillar, feature felt or foam replicas of the items that the caterpillar ate through, as well as the beautiful butterfly the caterpillar becomes.

When I taught kindergarten, I used story bags in centers. First I would read the books to the students and demonstrate the use of the "props." Subsequently, in centers, my students would either read, or depending on the difficulty of the book, "pretend read" the story, then retell the story using the props. When finished, the students put the book and other items back in the bag and hung it on the hook for the next time. Story bags are great fun, but also aid in oral language development and encourage creativity.

Jean Piaget, whose theory of cognitive development is taught in the areas of psychology, sociology, and education, greatly influenced the structure of the elementary curriculum. Piaget outlined 4 stages in children's intellectual development. In the second stage, the pre-operational stages, ages two through seven, Piaget expounds on the importance of play and pretend. Because of Piaget's work , teachers (and parents) of children in these age groups understand the need to provide plenty of toys and manipulatives for children who are learning to use language and make sense of their environment. Story bags are an excellent avenue for children on the road to becoming fluent readers. Now, retired from teaching, I use story bags successfully with my young grandchildren.

How to Make a Story Bag: