Story Boxes: using a multisensory story approach to develop vocabulary in children experiencing language-learning difficulties

Abstract

One challenge faced by special education teachers in Sri Lanka is in the implementation of whole-class vocabulary enrichment activities. There has been a growing interest in using multisensory, interactive storytelling as a means of encouraging vocabulary development. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating local stories into multi-sensory story-telling and story-making activities as part of a whole-class speech and language therapy programme to assist the teaching and learning of target vocabulary. Two local children’s stories together with relevant story-telling and story-making activities were introduced to 30 children with language learning difficulties accessing special education in the south of the country. The children received weekly storytelling sessions for 3 months via trained teaching staff. Receptive and expressive vocabulary measures were undertaken before and after the introduction of the approach together with teacher and parent comments. There was a positive difference in the target receptive and expressive vocabulary of each student following the block of therapy using the Story boxes multi-sensory storytelling/story-making approach. Additional positive changes were noticed in the children’s attention and listening skills and in their motivation to attend to activities during ‘story time’. The use of local, traditional stories incorporating a multi-sensory story telling and story-making framework was found to aid the receptive and expressive vocabulary skills of children with language-learning difficulties.