How does listening to stories contribute to literacy?

Listening to stories plays a significant role in the development of literacy skills by enhancing auditory processing and understanding. When children listen to stories, they engage with complex language patterns, vocabulary, and narrative structures, which helps them make sense of spoken language. This exposure builds their ability to decode words when they transition to reading independently.

Additionally, listening to stories stimulates imagination and encourages comprehension skills as children learn to visualize characters, settings, and plots without the textual cues from written language. This form of auditory engagement can enhance their ability to grasp context and meaning, contributing positively to their overall literacy development. Through listening, they also learn to pay attention, follow narratives, and understand character motivations, all of which are essential skills for reading comprehension later on.