Comparing the Relationship of Storytelling and Storybook Reading to Kindergartners' Ability to Sequentially Retell a Story Using Pictures

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in kindergartners' sequential retelling of a story read to them from a book (read aloud) as compared to a story told orally, without a book (storytelling) . The subjects of this study were forty eight kindergarten children attending an suburban school district in Western New York State. After listening to a story read aloud and another story told orally half the students retold the stories using pictures provided by the researcher. The other half of the students listened to the same stories only presented in the opposite manner from the first group. The story retellings were compared through the use of a t test. The results showed no statistically significant difference in the childrens story retellings.