This presentation will discuss differences in narrative styles between English and Spanish speakers and identify which narrative styles are common to many cultures. It will review dynamic assessment and intervention stages to assess and teach narrative use. Furthermore, it will discuss how narrative abilities can affect academic progress and describe how cultural differences can be taken into consideration when treating a student.

1. Improving Story Narratives of
Children from Different
Cultures
Scott Prath, M.A., CCC-SLP
Ellen Kester, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
TSHA Convention: March 2012

2. Scott Prath
M.A., CCC-SLP
Ellen Kester
Ph.D., CCC-SLP

3. • moth

4. Difference Vs. Disorder – Speech

5. Difference Vs. Disorder - Language

6. Do you need Continuing Education or
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visit the online
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7. Difference Vs. Disorder - Narratives

8. Learner Objectives- Future Directions
• Discuss differences in narrative styles between
English and Spanish speakers.
• Identify which narrative styles are common to
many cultures
• List dynamic assessment and intervention stages
to assess and teach narrative use
• Discuss how narrative abilities can affect
academic progress
• Describe how cultural differences can be taken
into consideration when treating a student

9. How important are narratives?
• We ask children to tell us about events, retell
stories, write about events in their journals, and
answer questions about stories.
• We analyze and judge the grammar and content
of their stories, the order of events, the semantic
complexity, and the narrative elements.

10. Can culture affect narrative
production?
• A child’s culture and life experiences have taught
him a different narrative script.
• How do we decide if missing elements are due to
an impairment or cultural difference?

11. Our Goal Today
• Show that narrative styles between children
from English- and Spanish-speaking cultures
vary greatly.
• Show how one set of narrative-based
intervention procedures can universally
challenge both English- and Spanish-speaking
children

12. All of the documents and charts in this
presentation can be downloaded from our Free
Resource Library.
Click here to visit the Resource Library

13. Narrative Elements that are
Common to Most Cultures
Narrative Element Definition
Example (3 Billy Goats Gruff)
Initiating Event
The incident which introduces the central
conflict in a story;
The goats were hungry and wanted
to eat The grassy knoll was on the
other side of the bridge
Attempt
The protagonist’s attempt to solve the
problem.
They went to cross the bridge.
Consequence
The results of the
attempt (i.e. whether or not the goal was
attained).
The troll threatened to eat them .
Resolution
Whether or not the super-ordinate problem
was resolved.
Tricked the troll into waiting for a
bigger feast.
Setting
The physical or temporal context of the
story.
The grassy knoll and the bridge.
Full assessment available in our resource library at www.bilinguistics.com

14. Narrative Elements
• Initiating Event
▫ The incident which introduces the central conflict
in a story
• Example:
▫ Mom said it was time to live on their own. And “be
careful of the big bad wolf.”
Expected in Most Cultures

15. Narrative Elements
• Attempt
▫ The protagonist’s attempt to solve the related goal.
• Example
▫ The 3 pigs attempted to build houses.
Expected in Most Cultures

16. Narrative Elements
• Consequence
▫ The results of the attempt (i.e. whether or not the
goal was attained).
• Example:
▫ The houses were built and the wolf blew down
the poorly built houses. He could not blow
down the well built house. Expected in Most Cultures

17. Narrative Elements
• Resolution
▫ Whether or not the super-ordinate goal was
resolved.
• Example:
▫ A houses strength/value was proportionate to
the effort put into building it.
Expected in Most Cultures

18. Narrative Elements
• Setting
▫ The physical or temporal context of the story.
• Example:
▫ The country.
Expected in Most Cultures

19. Activity
Language Sample
Exploration
Common Elements
Initiating Event
Attempt
Consequence
Resolution
Setting

20. Case Study – Pablo 7 years
• English Narrative
• The boy is sitting in in in in the in
the chair.
• The frog gonna go see his babies.
• The boy see the, the there is no
nothing.
• The boy put put his, the boy check
his boots.
• “No one’s in there,” said the boy.
• The boy screamed for the frog.
• The dog fall.
• The boy run to him.
• He get him.
Common Elements
Initiating Event
Attempt
Consequence
Resolution
Setting

21. Case Study – Pablo 7 years
• The boy get the, the, the, the boy scream
again.
• The boy scream uh, uh, uh, a hole, the
the the the>
• The dog, the dog, the dog hit a tree.
• Then, then a boy went to a tree and
then, he scream owl.
• The owl push the boy.
• The owl follow the boy.
• The boy scream again.
• A deer pick up a boy.
• The boy and the dog run, run from to
the deer.
• The deer fall, fall, let go of the boy.
Common Elements
Initiating Event
Attempt
Consequence
Resolution
Setting

22. Case Study – Pablo 7 years
• The boy and the dog, the boy and the
dog fall on the water.
• The boy said, “You can hear that?”
• The boy said, um, he said, um, his dog
to be quiet.
• Then the dog and the boy run to a tree.
• Then they look and there are the frog.
• Then came up the babies.
• Then the boy said to the frog “I can
keep one of your babies?”
• And the one of the babies stay, stay
down.
Common Elements
Initiating Event
Attempt
Consequence
Resolution
Setting

23. Narrative Elements that are
Specific to Spanish and English
Narrative Element Definition Example (3 Little Pigs)
Internal Response
An emotional response to the
initiating event
The goat was scared of the troll. The
troll was mad and hungry.
Discourse Markers
A word or phrase that does not change the
meaning of the sentence.
"well," "now," "then," "you know"
Embedded stories
Flashbacks and other editing cues that may
impact the viewing experience.
If the goats parents had been eaten by
the troll.
Causal Relations:
The relationship between an event (the cause)
and a second event (the effect).
The troll allowed the smaller goat to
pass because he was offered a bigger
brother.
Causal Chain
A series of causal events that lead from
beginning to end.
The troll became progressively more
hungry and demanding.
Protagonist Identification
Identification of
the main protagonist in the story within the first
scene of the program.
Once upon a time there were 3 Billy
Goats Gruff…

24. Narrative Elements
• Internal Response
▫ Emotional response to the initiating event is
present.
• Example:
▫ The pigs were scared at the prospect of having
to leave home.
Culturally Specific
!

25. Narrative Elements
• Discourse Markers
▫ A word or phrase that does not change the
meaning of the sentence.
• Example:
▫ “Once upon a time…"
Culturally Specific
!

26. Narrative Elements
• Embedded stories
▫ Flashbacks and other editing cues that may impact
the viewing experience.
• Example:
▫ If the pigs had built their houses based on
something that had happened to their father.
Culturally Specific
!

27. Narrative Elements
• Causal Relations
▫ The relationship between an event (the cause) and
a second event (the effect).
• Example:
▫ The wolf blew the straw house down so the pig
ran as fast as he could to his brother’s house.
Culturally Specific
!

28. Narrative Elements
• Causal Chain
▫ Whether or not event is part of the chain that
leads from beginning to end.
• Example:
▫ Story progressed from the straw house, then
the stick house, and finally the brick house.
Culturally Specific
!

29. Narrative Elements
• Protagonist Identification
▫ Whether or not the main protagonist in the story
is identified within the first scene.
• Example:
▫ Once upon a time there were 3 little pigs…
Culturally Specific
!

30. Activity 2
Language Sample
Exploration
Common Elements
Internal Response
Discourse Markers
Embedded Stories
Causal Relationship
Causal Chain
Protagonist Identification

31. Case Study – Pablo 7 years
• English Narrative
• The boy is sitting in in in in the in
the chair.
• The frog gonna go see his babies.
• The boy see the, the there is no
nothing.
• The boy put put his, the boy check
his boots.
• “No one’s in there,” said the boy.
• The boy screamed for the frog.
• The dog fall.
• The boy run to him.
• He get him.
Common Elements
Internal Response
Discourse Markers
Embedded Stories
Causal Relationship
Causal Chain
Protagonist Identification

32. Case Study – Pablo 7 years
• The boy get the, the, the, the boy scream
again.
• The boy scream uh, uh, uh, a hole, the
the the the>
• The dog, the dog, the dog hit a tree.
• Then, then a boy went to a tree and
then, he scream owl.
• The owl push the boy.
• The owl follow the boy.
• The boy scream again.
• A deer pick up a boy.
• The boy and the dog run, run from to
the deer.
• The deer fall, fall, let go of the boy.
Common Elements
Internal Response
Discourse Markers
Embedded Stories
Causal Relationship
Causal Chain
Protagonist Identification

33. Case Study – Pablo 7 years
• The boy and the dog, the boy and the
dog fall on the water.
• The boy said, “You can hear that?”
• The boy said, um, he said, um, his dog
to be quiet.
• Then the dog and the boy run to a tree.
• Then they look and there are the frog.
• Then came up the babies.
• Then the boy said to the frog “I can
keep one of your babies?”
• And the one of the babies stay, stay
down.
Common Elements
Internal Response
Discourse Markers
Embedded Stories
Causal Relationship
Causal Chain
Protagonist Identification

34. Dynamic
Assessment
Narrative
Collection
Sheet

35. Narrative Differences
How Narratives Vary Across
Cultures

36. How does narrative development
change as a child gets older?
• Simple to Complex
• Egocentric to conscious of others’ thoughts
• Present tense to past tense

37. How can differences in narrative
ability affect academic performance?
• When personal knowledge differs from
mainstream expectations, discourse, story
recounts, and story telling will not match
mainstream standards.
• Children from Spanish-speaking cultures
continue to perform worse than other children
on national indicators of achievement.
Gutierrez-Clellen, 2002

38. Is how we ask children to tell a story
different than how their parents ask?
• Metzi (2000) found differences in the way
Spanish-speaking and English-speaking mothers
elicited stories.
• Different aspects of narratives were emphasized
by Spanish and English-speaking mothers
▫ English-speaking mothers emphasized
organizational aspects
▫ Spanish-speaking mothers emphasized
conversational aspects
• Narratives vary by cultural demands.

39. Narrative
Differences
Specific to
Spanish and
English
Ernesto Quiñonez: Dog Days of Spanish Harlem
Tristan Jamison: A Dish Best Served Cold
The Moth Podcast: True Stories Told Live

40. Narrative Differences:
Goal of most narratives
Spanish - Culture English - Culture
• Moral themes. Spanish-
speaking children may use an
event to demonstrate a sense
of themselves in relation to
their community.
• Individualistic/child-centered
themes. English narratives
focus on what is happening
internally and externally to
the main character

41. Narrative Differences:
Reaction
Spanish - Culture English - Culture
• A character’s reaction to an
event or element may be
atypical.
• A character’s reaction to an
event or atypical story element
is predictive

42. Narrative Differences:
Story Elicitation
Spanish - Culture English - Culture
• Mothers emphasize the
conversational aspects of the
narrative. The Spanish-
speaking children have greater
responsibility in recalling the
story as their mothers play a
listening role in the
conversation.
• Mothers primarily focus on the
organizational aspects of the
narrative and English-
speaking children may act as
co-narrators with their
parents.

43. Narrative Differences:
Grammar – meaning
Spanish - Culture English - Culture
• Spanish relies on the inflection
of morphemes.
• English relies on manipulation
of word order.

44. Narrative Differences:
Acting as a listener
or a participant
Spanish - Culture English - Culture
• Spanish-speaking cultures
often have the role of speaker
or listener and may not
simultaneously engage.
• English-speaking cultures may
tell a story together, ask
questions, or interject during a
story.

45. Which narrative elements does
my client include?
Collecting baseline information on
narrative production

46. Collecting baseline data
Full assessment available in our resource library at www.bilinguistics.com
Click here to download this chart as a pdf.

47. Collecting
baseline
data
Click here to download this chart as a pdf.

48. Improving narratives with
intervention
How storybooks can by
used to improve
narratives
Click here to download this chart as a pdf.

49. Selecting Books for
Intervention
• The general criteria in choosing a book are that it
must be age-appropriate, interesting to children,
and have some pertinence to a student’s speech or
language goals.
• Books that include repetition, simplicity, humor and
great (but not too distracting) illustrations are often
successful with students who have speech and
language difficulties.
▫ School Librarians:
▫ Classroom Teachers:
▫ Internet Resources:

50. Types of Stories
• Chain or Circular Story: The story's ending leads back to
the beginning.
• Cumulative: The story builds on a pattern. It starts with one
person, place, thing, or event. Each time a new person, place,
thing, or event is shown, all the previous ones are repeated.
• Familiar Sequence (calendar or number): A common,
recognizable theme such as the days of the week, the months,
etc
• Pattern Story: The scenes or episodes are repeated with a
variation.
• Question and Answer: A question is repeated throughout
the story.
• Repetition of Phrase: a phrase or sentence is repeated.
• Rhyme: A rhyme, refrain, or rhythm is repeated throughout
the story.
• Songbook: Familiar songs with repeated phrases, sentences

51. Types of Stories Activity
Cumulative: The story
builds on a pattern. It starts
with one person, place,
thing, or event. Each time a
new person, place, thing, or
event is shown, all the
previous ones are repeated

52. Types of Stories Activity
Familiar Sequence
(calendar or number):
A common, recognizable
theme such as the days of
the week, the months, etc

53. Types of Stories Activity
Chain or Circular
Story: The story's ending
leads back to the
beginning.

54. Book Selection
• Age-appropriate
• Interesting and
relevant
• Related to goals
• Simple
• Good illustrations
• Resources
▫ School librarians
▫ Classroom teachers
▫ Internet
Click here to download this chart as a pdf.

55. Pre-Reading Activities
Pre-reading activities are used to bridge any gaps
between a student’s current skills and the targeted
skills.
• Music – use songs semantically related to the
material in the book. (Hoggan & Strong, 1994)
• Semantic mapping/graphic organizers – the adult
and students develop a list of words and concepts
related to the story and then develop a visual
representation or map of how the words and
concepts are related to one another (Gillam &
Ukrainetz, 2006; Hoggan & Strong, 1994).

56. Pre-Reading Activities
• Illustration discussion – The student creates a
story using illustrations from the selected
book. Scaffolding techniques may be used to
facilitate higher semantic and syntactic
complexity. Several templates that can be
used during this activity are included.
• Pre-reading discussion – Pre-reading
questions are designed to tie the students’
knowledge and ideas from the graphic
organizer to the concepts in the book.

57. Reading Activities
While reading the book, use scaffolding techniques to
engage the student and check understanding.
Clinicians commonly use scaffolding techniques in
order to help the student learn target skills.
Scaffolding techniques
• Print reference – The adult references a target from
the book by pointing or commenting (e.g. The adult
points to an illustration and asks, “What is happening
in the picture?”)
• Cloze procedures – The adult provides the first part of
an utterance and the student completes the thought
(e.g. A: The mouse lost his balance and ______ S:
fell off).

58. Reading Activities
Scaffolding techniques
• Syntactic and semantic expansions – The adult
expands on an utterance provided by the student using
the grammar and vocabulary targets (e.g. S: The
mouse walking. A: Yes, the little mouse is walking on
the vine.).
• Binary choice – The adult offers the student two
choices of responses (e.g. A: What happened to the
mouse? Did he fall off or jump off the vine? S: He fell
off the vine.).
• Modeling – The adult models the target structure for
the student (e.g. What happened to the mouse when
he was crossing the river? The mouse fell into the
river.) (Liboiron & Soto, 2006).

59. Post-Reading Activities
• Post-reading activities create a time when the student
can review and reflect on what they have learned. For
students with language impairments, post-reading
activities are a powerful way to allow the student to
experience success that they may not often feel in the
classroom. Here are general post-reading activities.
• Discussion questions – The adult and student discuss
the story. According to Gillam and Ukrainetz (2006),
the clinician should respond to 40% to 60% of all
questions with scaffolding techniques.
• Syntactic activities – Students create grammatical
structures through a variety of art activities and
games. Suggested targets: past tense and present
progressive

60. Post-Reading Activities
• Semantic activities – Students add to their word
books through art activities in the areas of
object/function, part/whole, categories,
antonyms, and synonyms. Suggested targets:
comparison, categories, and action words.
• Narrative retelling – use scaffolding techniques
and visuals from the book to support the student
while retelling the story.
• Phonology/Articulation – Use images from the
book as well as general images in order to target
specific phonological and articulation skills. See
articulation chart in the following activities.

61. Summary:
• A child will produce a fictional or personal story that
imitates the stories that he or she has been exposed
to throughout life.
• Labeling or devaluing a narrative creation because it
is not mainstream puts the child and the institution
at a disadvantage.
Instead, a child’s story can be celebrated and
aspects that are academically required, but
not present, can be added to the abilities that
already exist.

62. Template Examples

63. Click to visit
www.bilinguistics.com

64. Difference or Disorder?
Understanding Speech and Language
Patterns in Culturally and
Linguistically Diverse Students
Rapidly identify speech-language
patterns related to second
language acquisition to
distinguish difference from disor
der.