What is Narrative Coherence in Childhood?

Why Storytelling Matters

Telling stories that make sense is a fundamental skill, and for children, this “narrative coherence” is crucial for both language and social development. Whether they’re recounting a movie plot or a recent birthday party, a child with strong narrative coherence weaves a comprehensible tale. Conversely, a child struggling in this area might leave out vital details or overwhelm listeners with extraneous information. As the saying goes, “With a focus on actions and events, children often fail to tell you who the characters are or give context for what is happening. Poor narratives leave you guessing: Who are we talking about right now? Where did this happen? What is the main point of all this?”

Signs Your Child Might Be Struggling with Narrative Coherence

Observing these patterns can indicate a child is having difficulty with coherent storytelling:

• Starting stories mid-way: Imagine your child begins with, “he was all alone, and someone was chasing him.” You’re left wondering, “Wait, was this in a movie? Was this a video game?”
• Adding irrelevant details: They might inject dialogue that feels out of place, like, “He was on the edge of his seat as the man walked away in haste.”
• Avoiding “personal narratives”: While they might excel at writing about favorite subjects, personal experience assignments can be highly frustrating.
• Difficulty retelling stories: After you read a book, they may struggle to explain the story or grasp its overall meaning.
• Missing key context: They might launch into a story without introducing characters or setting, leaving you to ask, “Did you take that from a movie, or did this really happen?”
• Jumping to the “cliffhanger”: A child might start with, “Then he ran away,” leaving you to ask, “Who? Where?”
• Telling improbable tales: When asked about an event, they might offer a highly unlikely account, like, “we jumped off a roller coaster!”
• Omitting crucial information: Their stories may lack the main idea or the “gist,” leaving you confused about characters, plot, and central themes.
• Disordered sequencing: Events may be told out of order, without transition words like “first,” “next,” or “then,” making the narrative hard to follow.

The Six Essential Elements of Strong Storytelling

My research, which followed 71 children as they explored narrative elements, identified six key components for coherent storytelling:

1. Characters: Clearly identify and describe the people or animal characters.
2. Actions: Explain what the characters did or what happened to them.
3. Sequence: Present events in a logical order. Challenges with sequencing, also known as ‘temporal coherence,’ are often an early indicator of narrative difficulties.
4. Perspectives: Convey what characters are thinking or feeling.
5. Main Idea: Articulate the story’s most important events and clarify the central point.
6. Integrative Statement: Provide a meaningful conclusion or “wrap-up,” often called ‘global coherence,’ that brings the entire narrative together.

As children’s stories become more coherent, they begin to “make pictures in their heads. Like a storyboard or scenes from a movie, the storyteller describes the setting, the main characters, the events that happened, and wraps up the story with a moral, conclusion, or a statement that pulls it all together.

Why do some kids struggle with narrative coherence?

Several factors can contribute to difficulties with coherent storytelling:

• Poor Perspective-Taking: A child might not consider what information the listener needs, leading to gaps in their narrative. For example, saying “Mimi is the meanest person in the world” without explaining who Mimi is.
• Challenges with Comprehension: If a child doesn’t fully understand stories they hear, retelling them coherently becomes difficult.
• Missing the “Big Picture”: A focus on isolated actions and events can prevent them from grasping or conveying the main idea or overall context.
• Too Many or Too Few Details: Some children struggle with finding the right balance, either leaving out important information or providing excessive, confusing tangents.
• Weak Listening Comprehension: Difficulties in forming mental representations of spoken information can impact their ability to process and retell stories.
• Neurodevelopmental Differences: While many children with narrative coherence issues are typically developing, sometimes these challenges can signal a neurodevelopmental difference or delay. These might include:
• Hyperlexia: A pattern where a child excels at decoding words but struggles with comprehension.
• Autism Spectrum: Individuals with this neurotype may experience differences in social communication and comprehension, even with a high IQ.
• Intellectual Differences: Deficits in cognitive ability can lead to difficulties with verbal comprehension and expression, especially for abstract information.
• Expressive or Receptive Language Differences: Challenges with comprehending or expressing language can impact a child’s ability to logically sequence stories.

Supporting Your Child’s Storytelling Skills

Here are some actionable strategies:

• DO: Encourage vivid imagery: Ask your child, “What are you picturing?” Prompt them to describe characters, settings, and emotions in detail.
• DO: Visualize the story: Have your child draw scenes or create “thought bubbles” for characters to depict their thoughts and actions.
• DO: Ask clarifying questions: Use phrases like “tell me more” and gently guide them through their narrative. If you misunderstand, laugh it off and say, “Well, I guess I needed more information on this, huh?”
• DON’T: Pretend to understand: If a story doesn’t make sense, be honest. Say, “I don’t understand” or “Wait, can you start over from the beginning?”
• DON’T: Tune out: Even if it’s challenging, actively listen and try to grasp the core meaning of their communication.
• DO: Seek professional help if needed: If storytelling problems are significant, consider consulting a professional.

When to Seek Professional Help

• Significant Social Challenges: If storytelling difficulties are impacting your child’s ability to socialize and make friends, it may indicate an underlying neurodevelopmental difference like ADHD or an Autism neurotype.
• Academic Impact: If these issues interfere with school performance (e.g., classroom presentations, narrative writing, listening comprehension), first consult with your child’s school for support.
• Primary Storytelling Issue: If storytelling is the main concern, and your child is otherwise thriving socially and academically, specialized tutoring (e.g., Lindamood-Bell Learning Centers or Orton-Gillingham) can be beneficial.

Further Resources

• Psychologist or Neuropsychologist: For assessment and treatment of social or psychological aspects.
• School Psychologist: For IQ testing and evaluating academic impact.
• Lindamood-Bell: Offers programs like “Visualizing & Verbalizing” and “Talkies” specifically designed to enhance storytelling skills.

Understanding and addressing narrative coherence is an evolving field, with ongoing research highlighting its importance for social and academic success. By recognizing the signs and employing supportive strategies, we can empower children to become more confident and coherent storytellers.

Resources for Narrative Coherence

Bell, Nancy (2007). Visualizing and Verbalizing: For Language Comprehension and Thinking

Bell, Nancy (2005) Talkies Visualizing and Verbalizing for Language Comprehension and Expression.

Diehl, J., Bennetto, L. & Young, E.C. (2006). Story recall and narrative coherence of high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 34 (1), 87-101.

Kroncke, Willard, & Huckabee (2016). Assessment of autism spectrum disorder: Critical issues in clinical forensic and school settings. Springer, San Francisco.

Losh, M. & Capps, L. (2003). Narrative ability in high-functioning children with autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2003;33(3):239-251.

Suh, J., Eigsti, I. M., Naigles, L., Barton, M., Kelley, E., & Fein, D. (2014). Narrative Performance of Optimal Outcome Children and Adolescents with a History of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). J Autism Dev Disord, 44(7), 1681-1694. doi: 10.1007/s10803-014-2042-9.

Willard, M. (2013). Development of an integrative comprehension imagery scale for children with and without autism. Proquest: Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) UNIVERSITY OF DENVER, 177 pages.