Does your young child enjoy making up elaborate tales about what did (or did not) happen? Do you ever find your toddler “reading” a book to himself, remembering words or making up his own? Do your kids want to hear the same family stories over and over and over?

Do you ever feel concerned that they are “living in a dreamland” or not learning to tell the “truth”?

The good news is: They are normal! Storytelling is a natural part of our human experience. Young children learn from connecting with us through storytelling, both from reading and verbally. And they don’t always know how to distinguish a “true” story from one that is “made up.”

When your children tell you stories, listen for the truth in their words, even when some of the story is not “true.” They are sharing with you their desires, experiences and interpretations. There is so much to learn from the way they playfully interact with the world!

As early human beings, it was our verbal abilities and storytelling (creating of culture) that distinguished us from other species. We told stories to create a sense of belonging, to define meaning and to preserve our shared values.

I recently read a lovely essay written by a mother who began reading to her daughter as a newborn. She was delighted to discover that this ritual of reading and re-reading stories gives her daughter the confidence to tell her own stories. "Her six-year-old voice transforms into a seasoned storyteller, intoning mystery, suspense, humor, even love, as she reads aloud," Leslie Constans wrote.

Who are the little storytellers in your home? Tell us about what you are doing to support them in learning this important skill.

This lovely set of stuffed felted letters is too cute not to post. $55 from Etsy's MiChiMa. [Via MightyJunior]