Children learn best when they are actively engaged in educational activities. Reading a story aloud is an ideal way to build fluency and reading comprehension, as well as promote a lifetime love of reading. Though words tell the story, for children, it is the pictures that bring the words in the story to life. Using a flannel board to tell a story brings these pictures to life in a way that children can interact with, giving the story more meaning and helping promote a deeper understanding of what is read.
Instructions
1. Create pieces for the flannel board story. If you are reading a story from a book, photocopy images from the book, cut out the images and glue them onto pieces of felt. If you are telling a story without a text, draw or print out images that correspond with the tale and glue them onto pieces of felt.
2. Explain how the flannel board to your audience. Show them one of the pieces that will be used for the story. Explain that while you are telling the story, the flannel board and the flannel board pieces will serve as the pictures.
3. Put the flannel board pieces in the correct order before telling the story. This will prevent searching for pieces in the middle of telling the story, which can distract your audience and make them lose interest.
4. Tell the story. Name the title of the story and place the first flannel piece in your hand. As you are reciting the words, or reading the text aloud, place the first piece on the board at the appropriate time. After placing the first piece on the board, pick up the second piece so that you are prepared to place it on the shelf of the chalkboard. Continue in this manner until the story ends and all of the pieces are lined up on the board.
5. Retell the story. After reading the story one time, allow the audience to help you tell the story a second time by enlisting members to place the flannel pieces on the board at the appropriate time. Hand out the flannel pieces before telling the story and invite listeners to place them on the board as the story is being told. Another option is to hand out the flannel pieces as the story is being told and have the pieces placed on the board immediately after they are distributed.
