Narrative Therapy

The Power of Narrative Therapy: Supporting Language and Literacy Development

Narrative therapy is a powerful approach that not only supports a child’s language goals but also complements their literacy development and learning. When used intentionally, it can be structured into three parts—pre-literacy, during literacy, and post-literacy activities—to build strong foundations in storytelling, comprehension, and expression.

But narrative therapy isn’t just about telling stories—it’s about helping children make sense of their world through language. Storytelling is a natural and meaningful way for children to express ideas, process experiences, and connect with others. In therapy, it provides a flexible yet impactful framework for developing both language and social-emotional skills.

Three Phases of Narrative Therapy

🔹 Pre-literacy activities activate prior knowledge, introduce key vocabulary, and prepare the child for the story. This might include visual supports, discussing story elements (character, setting, problem), or role-playing themes to build familiarity and engagement.

🔹 During literacy activities involve reading the story together with the child. Here, we model rich language, scaffold comprehension, and support sequencing. We also ask comprehension questions and use tools like story maps, gestures, and repeated lines to enhance understanding.

🔹 Post-literacy activities consolidate learning through story retells, alternative endings, drawing, dramatisation, writing letters to characters, or making personal connections. This stage is especially valuable for practising expressive language and promoting generalisation of skills.

Why It Matters

Research consistently shows that oral language skills—including vocabulary, grammar, and narrative structure—are strong predictors of later reading comprehension (Nation & Snowling, 2004; Snow, 2010).

By supporting these foundational skills in therapy, we help bridge the gap between talking and reading, preparing children for academic learning and everyday communication.

What Does the Research Say?

• Narrative ability predicts reading comprehension, even more strongly than early phonological skills in some cases.
  (Snow, 2010; Bishop & Snowling, 2004)

• Narrative-based interventions improve language outcomes for children with developmental language disorder (DLD), autism, and learning difficulties.
  (Petersen, 2011; Gillam et al., 2012)

• Personal storytelling builds self-identity, perspective-taking, and emotional understanding—all vital for school and life success.
  (Bruner, 1990; McCabe & Bliss, 2003)

Our Experience

At our clinic, we witness the magic of stories and books every day. Narrative therapy offers rich opportunities to support learning, language, and literacy in meaningful, engaging ways. Whether it's through picture books, puppet play, or co-created stories, storytelling becomes a bridge between a child's inner world and the world around them.