The Benefits of Telling and Listening to Fairy Tales for Children

Beyond entertaining, fairy tales nourish a child's language, imagination and values. We look at the benefits of telling and listening to fairy tales.

There is hardly anyone who has not visited the world of fairy tales, passed from tongue to tongue over centuries to reach our day. Every generation has fallen asleep listening to a fairy tale from an elder before bed. The tangible form of a great cultural accumulation, fairy tales are today studied by experts not only for their entertaining effect but also for their contribution to children's education. In this article, we look at the benefits of fairy tale activities.

Communication and Listening Education

Fairy tales make a great contribution to a child's healthy communication within the family. Imagining the same thing together with a parent and talking about it strengthens communication, especially for school-age children. Moreover, with their adventure-filled events and frequently repeated rhymes, fairy tales keep the child's attention alive and teach them to "listen with full attention". A child who has learned to listen has become ready for all learning.

Mother Tongue and Creativity

Reading or telling a fairy tale to a child contributes to the language-learning process. A child growing up in a constant and regular speaking environment learns the language faster and begins to make sense of the idioms and proverbs within the tales. As the child listens to the tale, they imagine what is being told. Let us remember that every invention in the world was first a dream; that is why fairy tales nourish creative thinking.

In every fairy tale there is a guide, but none does the work in the hero's place; the hero overcomes every obstacle by their own effort.

Values and Self-Realisation

Fairy tales are built on universal values such as good and evil, justice and oppression, truth and injustice. Taking the hero as a model, the child learns to overcome difficulties without giving up, to be patient and to do their own work; in this way a sense of responsibility develops. Sharing this struggle with those around them, the child also meets their need to socialise. At the same time, fairy tales convey cultural elements such as beliefs, traditions and value judgements.

In brief

  • Fairy tales nourish communication, listening and mother-tongue development.
  • They strengthen imagination and creative thinking.
  • They convey universal and cultural values to the child in a natural way.

To grow a love of reading, you can look at our Do Not Take Reading Lightly article, and find age-appropriate book choices in this guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a child benefit even if they do not understand the fairy tale?

Yes. In this period, even if the child does not fully understand the tale, the repetition of words accelerates language learning and enriches vocabulary.

What should I pay attention to when choosing a fairy tale?

It is important to choose fairy tales with high educational value that shape the child's spirit with good examples; this contributes to raising individuals of character.

Up to what age is listening to fairy tales beneficial?

The contribution of fairy tales to communication, language and values continues in the school years too. Fairy tale hours strengthen the family bond and listening skills at every age.

Gökkuşağı Koleji · Once upon a time...