228. The Research Is Clear: Combine Movement + Storytelling for Bigger Gains

Narratives and movement are better together, and today's episode has the research to prove it. I'm breaking down a preschool study that found combining movement with storytelling produces bigger gains in language and motor skills than either approach alone, and I'm walking you through exactly how to bring this into your own sessions. In this episode, you'll learn: 1-Why narratives are the "kettlebell" of intervention: hitting vocabulary, syntax, comprehension, verbal working memory, and social pragmatics all at once 2-The preschool research showing combined movement + storytelling beats movement-only or storytelling-only conditions for both language and motor outcomes 3-How a simple "how do you..." task-oriented story (no imagination required!) works just as well as a made-up story 4-My go-to tier-two conjunction words (first, next, then, lastly, because) and how to pair them with gestures to build automaticity 5-How to use dynamic cueing to shift the "locus of control" so the child becomes the storyteller, not you 6-Three easy ways to scale the task up or down (simple sentence → complex sentence → multi-step paragraph) to keep kids engaged without frustration 🎁 Want two ready-to-use, highly engaging movement activities delivered to your inbox every single week — plus so much more? Join the SIS Membership and never run out of effective, easy-to-implement session materials again: https://www.kellyvess.com/sis 📋 Have you completed the AAC survey yet? This is your chance to shape resources built around what AAC professionals and parents actually struggle with. Complete the comprehensive AAC survey and get the AAC Implementation Toolkit as a thank-you — open to both parents and professionals: https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1FHfcoyCK3z5vJs ✋ Download my storytelling cueing gestures — the exact visual cues I use for first, next, then, lastly, and because — so you (and the parents you work with) can start using them today: https://www.kellyvess.com/storycues Referenced Study: Duncan, M., Cunningham, A., & Eyre, E. (2019). A combined movement and story-telling intervention enhances motor competence and language ability in pre-schoolers to a greater extent than movement or story-telling alone. European Physical Education Review, 25(1), 221–235. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X17715772