By Morenike Taiwo

Dear readers, let me first apologize for skipping few editions without coming here with your favourite educational interactive sessions. 

I believe you still recall our last session where we discussed about introducing the child to language. I mentioned then that the child is born with internal ability to learn language which only awaits manifestation at the appropriate time. 

Today, let us consider the realistic classroom presentation of introducing a child to developing conversation skills through story telling stories and conversation.

True Stories:

In true stories lesson presentation, the guide starts by inviting the group of children of two to three and tells them the topic of the lesson about to be presented to them.

She then walks with them to a good spot in the classroom and ask them to sit down in a semi-circle position. As the adult, the teacher or guide positions herself opposite the children, and making sure she can see each one of them at a glimpse.

After getting them to pay attention, she then tells them the name(s) of the character(s) of the story; since it is a true story, she will have to introduce the persons involved in the story and where the event took place.

She will begin the story from the very beginning of what happened, telling them only the vital details in order not to prolong the story. 

This is the introduction.

The guide will move on to the progression of events, which is the main body of the story and then briefly tell how the events occur in sequence.

She will wrap up the story with the climax of the story. This is the ending of the story and it tells what happened at the very end. The highpoint should be noticeably short.

The story introduction, progression of event and the climax of the story all put together and briefly told without boring the children will connect the children to the story and keep them excited from the start to the end of the story. It will also make them remember the story to recount it to their other friends.

This is how the guide tells a story to the child(ren) either as an individual, group or collectively with direct intention to improve or enhance the spoken language of the child through oral speech while the indirect aim is to learn a life lesson from the story.

Conversations:

A conversation lesson presentation is usually done with an individual child.

The guide must have observed that the child needs this lesson and waits for an ideal and appropriate time when the child is available to present the lesson.

She walks up to the child and invites him for the lesson; telling the child the name of the lesson she is about to present.

She then walks with the child to another spot in the classroom or stays on the same spot if that is appropriate for the lesson presentation to begin the conversation lesson by making a statement that requires a response or asking a question that will be answered by the child.

This initial statement or question will lead to series of other statements and responses or questions and answers which will engage the child in a healthy and meaningful conversation and subsequently expose the child to the rudiments of how to engage in a conversation.

The direct aim of this lesson is to improve on or enhance the spoken language of the child through oral speech.

The indirect aim of the lesson is to help the child to know how to engage in a polite conversation by responding to statements and answering questions.