Narrative Milestones
Discover how young children build narrative skills—and why storytelling is key to their language development.
Narrative skills – the ability to tell a story or sequence of events – are essential for communication and literacy. Whether a child is describing what they had for tea, recounting a playground incident or pretending to be Goldilocks, they are using narrative skills to organise and share their experiences.
Once children can form sentences, the next step is learning to connect them into a coherent sequence. A well-structured narrative includes key elements such as time sequencing, (beginning, middle, end), characters, events, and often a problem that is eventually resolved. Mastering these elements helps children engage more deeply with stories and express their own ideas effectively.
We know that for four- and five-year-olds, these skills are still developing. That’s why storytelling is a key component of the NELI Programme. Some children naturally pick up narrative structures, while others need additional support. That’s where NELI comes in – helping children who struggle with storytelling by reinforcing the main narrative elements of a story (who, what, where, when, why) and guiding them in building their own narratives.
Narrative skills are a crucial part of early language development. Just like other language skills, narrative skills develop with age, following typical milestones. By understanding narrative milestones and using strategies like those in the NELI intervention and NELI Whole Class, we can help children become confident storytellers.
Want to learn more? Check out our infographic below for a breakdown of key narrative milestones and how they progress over time.
