Learning Tools: Social Stories Set Kids Up for Success By Using a Story to Teach Skills! by Pepi Silverman

Anticipating new experiences can create anxiety in kids as they imagine the “unknown.” Many parents try to alleviate those feelings of anxiety, but providing comfort doesn’t always get rid of their kid’s concerns. Through the use of Social Stories, parents can become authors and create learning tools that are specifically designed to address those unknowns by providing the information that can teach their children what will be experienced and how to act in those new environments.

Social Stories were developed by Carol Gray in 1990 and have been used for students who have difficulties with new experiences. Parents and teachers have utilized these meaningful tools to create targeted stories that correspond to the needs of the child needing assistance. When developing a story for your child consider the following:

• Gather information to support the topic.
• Write to the needs of the audience, the child needing support. 
• The text and illustrations should clarify all of the information the child may encounter. 
• The stories themselves are simply written to focus on the topic at hand.

By using a story to teach children about new skills, they are set up for success.