Story-telling and story-acting: Their effects on cognitive, linguistic and motor development of preschooler children

Two groups of preschooler children played with plush toys or construction toys telling and acting stories under the guidance of a psychologist. The aim of the study was to evaluate if the relation between story-telling and-acting improved cognitive and motor development of preschooler children respect to a control group. Both experimental groups, regardless the type of toy, improved their non-verbal fluid reasoning competence, narrative abilities and, surprisingly, also imitating hand positions skills. Most interestingly, children who played with construction toy have marked improvement in their visuospatial abilities.