Learn English through stories

Stories can make us feel excited, sad, happy, surprised. The characters come ‘alive’ and we
escape our world – living for a moment in a magical, different experience. It’s a powerful
and motivating way for children to learn language.

Stories help children to:

 learn vocabulary (especially when key words are repeated in the text and pictures)
 learn how words can be put together to make sentences and texts
 learn sounds, rhythm and intonation (especially where there are lots of rhyming
sounds)
 use their imagination and thinking skills to ‘work out’ meaning and predict what
happens next
 develop their understanding of the world, life experiences, relationships and feelings.
Reading with your child is also just a lovely way to share time together.

Choosing a story

Not all stories are right for second language learning. When you choose a storybook, keep
the following points in mind:

 Ask for advice from teachers, libraries and bookshops: which stories do they
recommend?
 Length: will the amount of text on each page keep your child’s attention?
 Illustrations: is the story supported by enjoyable pictures?
 Interests: is the story related to your child’s interests (for example, if they like books
about superheroes, would they like to try a similar story in English)?
 Characters: will your child like the main characters (for example, are they similar
ages)? 
 Grammar and vocabulary: is the language similar to the English they are learning at
school? Is it similar to the type of language they use in their first language?
 Supporting other learning: does the story link to something your child is learning
about?
Learning tip for 5–12 year olds 
Our resources, created with Cambridge University Press, are carefully written with these
considerations in mind. Storyfun for Starters, Storyfun for Movers  and Storyfun for
Flyers are ideal for young learners.
Here is a free story and learning activities for your child to read with you.

Download Mrs Day’s Garden for free

Learning tip for 13–18 year olds 
As children get older, it is important to encourage them to develop their own reading
interests and make their own choices. You can still offer advice and talk about books
together. You can support your child by:

 discussing the kind of books and authors your child enjoys, such as fairy stories,
science fiction, fantasy, sports and humour – value their choices and praise them for
reading
 letting them know it’s OK to keep reading books with illustrations – pictures support
your child to develop their understanding and learn new language.

Reading a story

Try telling a story dramatically! This will help your child to understand the meaning of the
text and to stay focused on the story. Try using different:

 character voices 
 gestures and movements
 facial expressions 
 volumes, rhythms, speeds and pauses
 props, such as puppets and soft toys.
If you don’t feel confident reading in English, you might like to try listening to an audiobook
while you and your child look at the pictures in the storybook.

Learning tip for 5–12 year olds 

At first, try reading the story without stopping so your child is just enjoying the story and
following by looking at the pictures. On the second reading, encourage more interaction by
asking questions, such as ‘Is this funny, scary or sad?’, ‘Was that a good idea?’, ‘What do
you think will happen next?’
Children often like to hear a story told again and again. This is great! Over time, they will
understand more of the meaning and remember more of the language. They may feel
confident enough to join in with telling the story. Start a sentence, then pause and encourage
them to say the next word(s).

You could also ask your child to retell the story (or part of the story) in their own words. Or
they might like to think of a different, exciting end to the story. This is great practice for Part
2 of the A1 Movers and A2 Flyers Speaking test.

Learning tip for 13–18 year olds 

As children get older, they may prefer to read by themselves. They might find it especially
motivating to read stories that have also been made into films. 
You could then discuss the differences between the book and the film. Which one do they
prefer? This is great practice for the B2 First for Schools Writing paper. 

The important thing is to develop a shared love of reading. If you are enthusiastic about
stories and reading, they will be inspired too. 

Discussing a story

Stories give us lots of chances to ask questions, have discussions and use language. It’s also
a great way to develop a range of skills, such as imagination, creativity, thinking skills and
understanding of emotions and relationships.

When you read a story, or play an audiobook, pause when appropriate and ask your child
about:

 the plot: ‘What just happened?’, ‘Was that a good idea?’, ‘What do you think will
happen next?’
 the characters: ‘How do you think they feel?’, ‘Why do you think they did that?’,
‘What do you think they will say next?’
 the topic (you may need to discuss this in your first language): ‘What do you think is
the message of the story?’
Learning tip for 5–12 year olds 
If you are not confident speaking English, choose books with engaging and interesting
illustrations. The pictures will help you follow the story and discuss it with your child.
Before your child reads or listens to the book, look at the picture on the front cover.
Translate the title of the book. Now make guesses about what will happen in the story. Then
listen to the story and look at the pictures. Pause at an appropriate point in the story. Were
your guesses right? What do you think will happen by the end of the story?

Learning tip for 13–18 year olds 

You can support and encourage your child by showing an interest in their reading books. Try
asking questions, such as: ‘What are you reading?’, ‘Are you enjoying it?’, ‘What do you
like/dislike about it?’, ‘Do you think I would like it?’, ‘What do you think will happen to the
characters next?’, ‘Is there a moral to the story?’

Learning activities

Stories are also a great inspiration for further creativity – this provides opportunities to
practise a range of different skills.

Learning tips
Reading skills

 Find a funny short story. Cut it up and ask your child to use sticky tape to stick it back
together again. You can make it more difficult by having a couple of cards that don’t
match so the task isn’t completed by luck towards the end.
Writing skills:
 Ask your child to draw their own story pictures and label them.
 Encourage your child to write a short story about what the characters did next.
Alternatively they could invent a change to the story (for example, think of a different
ending).

Speaking skills:

 Ask your child to describe their favourite character, part of the story or picture.
 Ask your child to choose one or two background people in a picture. Can they imagine
new things about them? For example: What is their name? How old are they? What do
they like doing? What might they say to each other? What’s going to happen next?
 Try ‘acting out’ a short scene together. Encourage everyone to use funny voices and
faces for different characters. This can help unconfident children feel less nervous about
speaking.
Listening skills:

 Read aloud a short story. Ask your child to act out each line or paragraph. Pause at
appropriate points to give your child some time to think of a movement. For example, if
you read aloud the line ‘there were lots of bees’, your child could pretend to flap their
wings and say ‘Buzz! Buzz!’ If they don’t understand something, make up your own
movement to give them a clue.