: Once Upon a Pancake: Using Storytelling to Develop Language in EYFS Evidence shows that by improving children’s early language skills, we lay the foundations for success and improve life chances.

Gill Fearns is the Deputy Head of St Mary’s RC Primary School situated in East Lancashire in the North West of England. In this blog, she reflects on the evidence base around embedding ​‘a storytelling culture’, to support children’s early communication, language, and literacy development.

During continuous provision, a small group of children use a story tray to retell Mr Wolf’s Pancakes. The tray includes characters, kitchen props, and picture prompts to support sequencing and storytelling. Children move the figures as they recall events, narrating the story together.


The practitioner joins the play, listening first before commenting to expand vocabulary and asking thoughtful questions to deepen understanding. She asks, ​“Do you think the neighbours should help Mr Wolf, even though he has been unkind before?” Children share different viewpoints, and the practitioner models language by repeating and extending their ideas.


As Mr Wolf struggles to make pancakes, the practitioner draws attention to his perseverance:
​“He keeps trying even when it’s hard. Have you ever had to keep trying at something?”
Children link the story to their own experiences, sharing examples of learning new skills.


At the end of the story, the practitioner encourages creative thinking by asking, ​“Do you like the ending? Can you think of a different one?” Children act out new endings using the story tray.


The discussion then moves into real-life learning. The practitioner talks about pancakes, linking the story to Shrove Tuesday, and introduces a simple recipe book. Together, they explore what a recipe is, what ingredients are, and why we need them.

The latest data from Department for Education (2025) Early years foundation stage profile results 2024/2025 shows that the difference between children not eligible and those eligible for free school meals achieving a good level of development at the end of early years, widened in 2024/25 for the second consecutive year. There is now a 20.5 point gap (51.3% of children in receipt of FSM achieving GLD and 72.5% of children not in receipt of FSM achieving GLD).


Evidence shows that by improving children’s early language skills we can lay the foundations for success and we will in turn improve life chances.


Recommendation 1 from Education Endowment Foundation (2018). Preparing for Literacy: Guidance Report. Available at: Preparing for Literacy | EEF states that to improve communication and language, EYFS settings should:



​‘Use a wide range of approaches including shared reading, storytelling, and explicitly extending children’s vocabulary’ within provision.

But what does this look like in practice?


This week, as part of the National Year of Reading, schools across the country will be celebrating National Storytelling Week and so for this blog we will focus on the power of story in EYFS.


Teaching and modelling language is all about being intentional with how we use words with children. It means showing them how words fit together to make sentences (grammar), giving them chances to try this out themselves (expressive language), and helping them understand meaning within and across sentences (receptive language). Stories — whether based on real experiences or made-up tales — are a brilliant way to practise all of this.


The evidence from the EEF (2023) Communication and Language: The Early Years Evidence Store is strong. Using stories to teach and model language can support all children, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds.



In everyday practice, early years educators can use stories as a natural opportunity to model rich language. This might be through interactive story times, retelling familiar tales, or talking through shared experiences. Importantly, language learning doesn’t just happen through talk — physical actions really help too. Research suggests that combining verbal and physical strategies has the biggest impact. Asking questions and encouraging discussion works best when children can also act things out, use props, or look at pictures/​prompts.

Possible Storytelling approaches:


Adult- led Oral Storytelling (Traditional Telling): Stories told aloud without a book, using voice, facial expression, and gesture (see the work of Cassandra Wye- linked blog below).


Story Sacks: A bag containing a storybook plus props to encourage retelling of learned stories.


Small World Storytelling: Using small toys, figures, or natural objects to act out stories. This could enable the children to ​‘innovate’ a known story by developing, extending and changing elements of a story. Use of Story Stones: Stones or objects with pictures/​symbols that children use to create stories.


Puppet Storytelling: Stories told using puppets or soft toys that can either be adult- led or child-initiated.


Story Maps and Story Trays: story maps can be used to allow children to learn stories ​‘off by heart’ and these can be put into provision with different props within a story tray to enable the children to imitate (re-tell the story); innovate (change elements of the story) or invent (create a ​‘new’ story).


Helicopter Stories: Children dictate their own stories to an adult, who writes them down and acts them out with the group (see references below for further information).


The overall evidence for teaching and modelling language through stories is strong, and the good news is that these approaches don’t have to be limited to story time — they can also be used to support vocabulary development, social skills, and everyday conversations across the setting.

FURTHER READING:


Department for Education (2025) Early years foundation stage profile results 2024/2025Early years foundation stage profile results, Academic year 2024/25 – Explore education statistics – GOV.UK


EEF (2023) The power of story in the early years https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/power-of-story


EEF (2023) Communication and Language: The Early Years Evidence Store https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/high-quality-interactions


Wye, C. (2021) Telling Tales Together… storytelling with Little ​‘Uns https://www.handsupproject.org/blog-hup/telling-tales-together


Education Endowment Foundation (2018). Preparing for Literacy: Guidance Report. Preparing for Literacy | EEF


Lee, T. (2015) Princesses, Dragons and Helicopter Stories: Storytelling and Story Acting in the Early Years. Abingdon: Routledge. https://helicopterstories.co.uk/



National Storytelling Week 2026 Activities, Events And Resources | National Literacy Trust