Storytelling strategies for facilitating the development of comprehension: A case for pre-schoolers in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The study explored storytelling strategies used by teachers to facilitate children’s development of story comprehension. Seven educators and forty-four preschoolers, aged three to five years, participated in the study at a primary school situated in Masvingo, Zimbabwe. Learners listened to six cultural stories randomly selected from different genres that included fables, myths, and legends. A Grounded Theory approach to data gathering and analysis was used to develop the ‘recycling of knowledge’ theory. Findings suggested that ‘recycling of knowledge’ served as the primary social process, which provided teachers with the most effective strategies for improving children’s comprehension of stories. The study recommended that Early Childhood Development (ECD) educators should implement strategies involved in the recycling of knowledge theory to improve children’s early literacy and story comprehension.