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Stories are effective in helping English learners to practice all four aspects of language learning: reading, writing, listening and speaking. We can practise reading skills when we see the words we have read in the context. And after we read the story we will use them or learn from it to start our own story, as we know we need to know it before we do it. And also we can read the story aloud as the same time we practice speaking. When we do some role play with our partner by using the story, we practice our listening. But how can we use it for children, here are some ideas: 1. Choose the suitable stories according to the level There are so many stories in the world, it is not all suitable for your learners, just select the right one, which is the right level for your learner. If you choose a story which is too difficult, you will spend too much time to teach the vocabulary, and maybe the kids will not understand it in the end. If you choose the book which is too easy for your learner, you will learn it very quick, and the kids will be bored soon. Make sure that you always challenge yourself, even if you are only learning a few new words. It will be a best choice if the book related to what you are teaching, the same topic you have taught. 2.Read it in the right way As we know the kids is always active, they are easy to get bored, and they can't focus for a long time, they will be easy to forget things. When we read a story to the kids, we need to use the excited voice to attract them which is according to the story, you can change it to fast, slow, happy, sad always depending on the plot in the story. And also use the illustrations to help, you can try to ask them to guess what the story about before you start to read, ask what are they doing, the kids will be interested in finding out what is going on next. And sometimes you do not need to read the story in a time, you can separate them if need. 3. Always ask questions and review When you read a story to the kids, it will not work if only you read the story all the time without interruption. It will be much better if you ask some questions, like what do you thin will happen next? Why does it happen? If it happens to you what do you feel? Who is she? What is your favourite part in the story, it will help the kids to think and make them focus on the story. Also it helps them to try to understand the story, and help you to check if they got it or not. Also the kids are easy to forget things, review is a good way for them to remember, and you can ask the question which is difficult for the kid when you asked last time, and ask it again when you do review. 4. Make the story much fun Try to act the story after finish the story, you can put them into pairs to practice first, they will act the roles in pairs, and then act them out in front of the class. Praise them after they did it, help then if they need, always encourage them.
