Storytelling is a powerful tool for language development, and as practitioners, it's essential to leverage effective methods to enhance this skill in children. One such method is the Edmonton Narrative Norms Instrument (ENNI), which has shown promise in helping children develop their storytelling abilities. This blog will explore how you can use the outcomes of the research titled "Storytelling from pictures using the Edmonton Narrative Norms Instrument" to improve your practice.
What is the Edmonton Narrative Norms Instrument (ENNI)?
The ENNI is a tool designed to collect story samples and establish local norms. It involves children telling stories based on picture stimuli, which allows practitioners to assess their storytelling abilities without providing an oral model. This method can reveal significant age trends and help distinguish between children with typical development and those with language impairments.
Why Use Storytelling in Therapy?
Storytelling requires children to combine words and sentences to communicate effectively, providing insights into their language skills in a more holistic context. Unlike isolated language tests, storytelling reflects real-life language use, making it a valuable tool for assessment and intervention.
Implementing ENNI in Your Practice
Here are some practical steps to integrate ENNI into your therapy sessions:
- Start with Picture Stimuli: Use the carefully designed picture sets from the ENNI to elicit stories from children. This helps assess their ability to formulate stories independently.
- Focus on Story Grammar Units (SGUs): Analyze the stories for SGUs, such as characters, settings, initiating events, internal responses, plans, attempts, outcomes, and reactions. This analysis helps you understand the child's storytelling structure.
- Track Developmental Trends: Monitor the child's progress over time by comparing their storytelling abilities with age norms. The ENNI has shown that storytelling skills increase with age, particularly between 4 and 8 years old.
- Identify Language Impairments: Use the ENNI to distinguish between children with typical development and those with language impairments. The tool has been effective in classifying children accurately 80.8% of the time.
Encouraging Further Research
While the ENNI is a valuable tool, it's essential to continue researching and refining your methods. Consider exploring additional aspects of storytelling, such as cohesion, syntax, and word use, to gain a comprehensive understanding of each child's language abilities.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Storytelling from pictures using the Edmonton Narrative Norms Instrument.
