Preschoolers
Creative ways to use story time for teaching preschoolers social skills like sharing and turn taking.
Story time becomes a lively workshop where sharing, listening, and turn-taking grow naturally, using imaginative books, playful roles, and consistent routines that empower preschoolers to interact kindly and cooperatively in daily life.
Published by
Anthony Gray
August 07, 2025 - 3 min Read
Story time offers a wonderful doorway into social learning for preschoolers because it combines imagination with everyday behavior. When caregivers select stories that feature characters negotiating space, offering help, or waiting for a turn, children see concrete examples of prosocial actions in action. The key is pairing the narrative with guided reflection and gentle modeling. Before opening the book, describe a simple goal for the session, such as “Let’s notice how the character shares their snack.” After reading, invite children to recount moments where someone waits patiently or cooperates to solve a problem. This framing turns moments of reading into real-life practice.
To keep story time engaging while building social skills, introduce predictable routines that children can anticipate and participate in. Begin with a brief warm-up that connects the book to everyday life—“Today we’re exploring what happens when friends trade roles.” Read at a comfortable pace, allowing pauses for discussion. Then finish with a short activity that reinforces sharing and turn taking, such as a pretend game where each child performs a small role inspired by the story. The combination of narrative immersion and concrete practice reinforces language, patience, and cooperative play.
Sharing grows with predictable routines and gentle reminders throughout.
When you invite children to participate in the storytelling, you transform the reading experience into an active collaboration. Use character voices, sound effects, and moment-to-moment questions that require kids to wait for their turn to respond. For instance, pause before a character makes a decision and ask, “What should they do next?” Encourage each child to contribute a suggestion before moving forward. This approach helps preschoolers recognize that ideas from peers are valuable and that every voice matters. It also creates a forgiving environment where trying and waiting are accepted as normal parts of group participation.
After the story, bridge the lesson to a cooperative activity that echoes the plot. Have a simple choice-based game where children decide how to share materials or how to take turns with a favorite toy. For example, if a story features building blocks, guide children through a structured build where every child places one block and then passes the project along. Emphasize phrases like “your turn next” and “thank you for waiting.” Repetition with varied contexts strengthens retention and gives children confidence to apply the skill beyond story time.
Listening skills blossom when characters wait for their turn.
A predictable routine anchors social skill practice in the daily rhythm of a classroom or home library. Start each session with a short goal, a quiet stretch, and a brief discussion about how characters might behave in a real-life scenario. Then proceed to the reading. The conclusion should wrap with a reflective moment where kids articulate what they noticed about sharing or turn taking. Over time, the routine itself becomes a cue for polite behavior: “We share, we listen, we wait.” Consistency is essential because young children learn best through repetition that does not overwhelm.
Incorporate tangible prompts that remind preschoolers of the sharing rule without interrupting flow. Use visual cues such as a small card or a hand signal that signals “your turn is coming.” Pair prompts with language that reinforces positive behavior, like “Thank you for waiting your turn.” This approach helps children move from listening to applying the concept in practical scenarios, whether during snack time, block building, or choosing a book. When prompts are gentle and embedded in the activity, no child feels singled out, and everyone stays engaged.
Empathy develops as stories reflect different perspectives and feelings.
Listening is the backbone of successful social interaction, and story time provides abundant opportunities to practice it in a low-pressure context. After a reading, pose questions that require careful listening to the specific events of the story. For instance, ask which character waited for another to finish speaking before acting. Encourage children to paraphrase portions of the plot, so they practice both comprehension and patience. As children repeat and rephrase, they learn to attend to others’ ideas, which is a fundamental cluster of social competence. This quiet practice can translate into more respectful conversations during playtime.
Create a “listening challenge” that keeps children emotionally invested without creating competition. For each chapter, designate a moment when everyone must listen closely for a particular cue or word. Children who succeed receive a small, noncompetitive reward such as a sticker or a checkmark on a chart. The focus remains on participation and mutual respect rather than winner versus loser. Importantly, celebrate diverse listening styles by acknowledging that some children need longer processing time, and that’s perfectly okay as long as they are engaged and contributing appropriately.
Parents become co-narrators guiding calm, confident social practice at home.
Empathy grows when children encounter characters who experience a range of emotions. Use story time to pause and label feelings aloud: “The character feels nervous because they’re sharing a toy,” or “That friend is excited to see the surprise.” Invite children to imagine how they would feel in a similar situation. Then ask them how they might respond to support their friend. Roleplay can extend this exploration; children take turns practicing comforting phrases or celebrating a peer’s success. By validating feelings inside a safe narrative space, kids learn to respond with sensitivity, which is essential for healthy relationships across classrooms and homes.
To deepen affective understanding, connect the story to real-life scenarios that children encounter daily. Create short, guided dialogues in which children practice apologizing, offering help, or inviting someone to join a game. Encourage them to use phrases that reflect the characters’ perspectives, reinforcing cognitive empathy. When missteps occur, frame corrections as learning opportunities rather than punishment. Positive reinforcement for acts of kindness—not just outcomes—will cultivate a classroom climate where children feel seen and valued. Over time, these discussions become natural, guiding social interactions beyond story time.
Extending story time into family life strengthens the transfer of skills from book to behavior. After reading, invite a short at-home reenactment where peers act out scenes, share commentary, and then collaboratively solve a tiny problem. Use props, costumes, or puppets to make the practice vivid and fun. The goal is not perfect performances but consistent participation that models cooperative behavior. When parents join as co-narrators, children see the value of listening, waiting, and offering help as normal parts of interacting with loved ones. This shared activity reinforces language and social norms in an affectionate, low-pressure setting.
Finally, celebrate small steps and maintain momentum by keeping activities brief and joyful. Rotate books with different social themes so children encounter varied scenarios: sharing a favorite snack, negotiating space on a rug, or taking turns with a favorite instrument. Maintain warm, encouraging tones and acknowledge improvements publicly within the family. Journal quick reflections together, noting moments of cooperation, patience, and generosity. Over weeks and months, these mindful storytelling practices accumulate into confident social behavior. With ongoing attention and playful creativity, story time becomes a durable tool for lifelong interpersonal skills.
