Storytelling serves many purposes. It can help to build memory, imagination, attention and focus. It can connect children to generations past and present, raise cultural awareness and build a positive sense of identity. Here are a few ways to incorporate storytelling into your next visit:

• Ask patients over 3 to tell you about a holiday they celebrate
• Model storytelling by narrating during the visit
• Encourage parents to think about storytelling when they are reading, going beyond the words and pictures on the page
• Suggest to parents that they tell their baby stories about the day they were born and favorite things they used to like to do