Story Innovation

Story Innovation

What is Story Innovation?

“Story Innovation discussed a procedure for innovating sentence patterns by using the structure of a sentence to create a semantically new one through word substitutions” (Griffith, 2007). Basically, students get the opportunity to change elements of a story to create a new story. 

“The beginning step of a story innovation is to negotiate with the children what part of the story will be changed. Several types of story innovation are available for use. First, stories can be innovated by changing the characters. Second, action verbs can be changed. Third, story settings can be changed. Fourth, the dialogue or sounds can be changed. Finally, a hybrid of the other elements can be arranged if the students are more advanced readers and more experienced story innovators” (Griffith, 2007).

Watch this video to see story innovation in action:

Why use this strategy?

This strategy can be fun because students can make the story silly or funny and “Using this strategy, teachers allow these students to develop literacy in a non-threatening, low-anxiety, and highly supportive learning environment" (Griffith, 2007). Another benefit of this strategy to support fluency is that during this strategy students will be exposed to this text multiple times and students will reread the text (with their own additions). This strategy also support all students including ESL students, "This strategy also uses comprehensible input and provides opportunities for repeated practice of reading, both of which are critical factors that can help ESL learners become successful readers” (Griffith, 2007).

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Griffith, P., & Ruan, J. (2007). Story Innovation: An Instructional Strategy for Developing Vocabulary and Fluency. The Reading Teacher, 61(4), 334-338. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20204592