| Research has shown that early oral narrative is a precursor to literacy development. The rich oral tradition of First Nations make oral storytelling an ideal entry point into literacy experiences for their children. If educators are to capitalize on this, however, they need to have an understanding of young First Nations children's narrative competence, especially in light of the research that points to the many learning challenges faced by First Nations students. The purpose of this study was to investigate the development of First Nations students' storytelling and to examine associated underlying factors. Participants included 100 First Nations children aged 5 to 9 years. Assessments of story retelling, original storytelling, language, non-verbal intelligence, and positional concepts were undertaken. Statistical analyses included correlations, ANOVA and multiple regression. Results indicated that oral storytelling progressed developmentally, story recall exceeded storytelling, and oral narrative was related to language and age. |
