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Introduction to this Guide on Finding and Using Stories for Kids
Stories have always been a powerful tool, especially when it comes to teaching. Not only can they help children understand the world better, but they can also be an effective way of helping them make those important connections when it comes to word meanings. Just about everyone has a strong memory of the stories they had read to them as a child.
And, if stories for kids are a resource used often by schools all over the world, it makes sense to use them as an online English tutor. Storytelling is a universal language that comes in a variety of formats, such as short stories, nursery rhymes and songs. It would be silly not to make use of them.
Working as a tutor with Cambly Kids, stories for kids can help you reach your true potential. As a teaching platform, it’s a fantastic way to learn about other cultures while earning money, and sharing stories is a great way to share some English culture back.
But where can you find stories for online teaching jobs? Read on to discover some of the best resources when it comes to finding stories for kids and exceed your online teaching goals.
Written Children’s Stories
Thankfully, gaining access to great stories for kids is as easy as firing up your computer. There are an incredible number of websites out there that can provide you with children’s stories for free. Really, the number of sites out there is only limited by how much Googling you’re up for – there truly is an almost endless number.
Many of these websites are also pretty varied as well, each offering a different selection and allowing you to source the perfect ones to match your tutees. You can find stories for almost any age group, including simple ones for absolute English beginners to more complex and challenging ones for intermediate learners.
The types of stories available are also diverse. You can discover everything from traditional stories and fairy tales to original ones, designed specifically to aid those learning English.
Here are a few of our favorite resources:
Written Stories for Kids Resources
- Free Children Stories: A website that does exactly what it says on the tin. This website hosts stories for a range of different age groups and a selection of genres, with new tales being added on a regular basis.
- Storyberries: The perfect place to discover bite-size stories – ideal for tutoring sessions. Many of their stories are also hosted in audio formats, offering you that extra bit of choice when teaching.
- American Literature: For traditional, iconic stories for kids, there’s no better place. While the website also hosts literature for adults, which is handy for AmazingTalker tutors. There are also plenty of great short stories and fairy tales for children – you may have grown up with a lot of them!
Visual Children’s Stories
YouTube can be another excellent resource for stories. There are several fantastic YouTube channels out there dedicated specifically to stories and nursery rhymes for children of all ages.
The video format can sometimes be a more effective way of teaching English through stories. The visual format can assist children and adults when it comes to making word connections. It’s much easier to understand what a word or sentence means when there’s imagery on-screen that compliments it.
Just like our recommended website resources, these YouTube channels host a range of different stories. From all-too-iconic fairy tales to catchy songs that are fun to sing along to. Everyone is familiar with Baby Shark, but there’s a whole sea of educational story songs out there. Here are some of our top channel recommendations:
Visual Stories for Kids Resources
- English Fairy Tales: Fairy tales are a timeless resource when it comes to teaching English. This YouTube channel presents some of the world’s most iconic stories in a helpful, easy-to-follow format, making it ideal for online English tutoring.
- Fairy Tales and Stories for Kids: A similar resource, Fairy Tales and Stories for Kids presents tales known around the world in an easy and fun format.
- My Pingu TV: Just like our other two recommendations, this YouTube channel hosts a range of fairy tales as well as fun and playful songs for kids as well. Perfect for providing tutors with a variety of ways to teach.
Libraries
As always, the library is a great – normally free – resource for sourcing children’s stories to help with your teaching. If you’re the sort of person that prefers working with physical materials, then your local library is a great place to go.
Most libraries often feature a dedicated children’s section with books for a range of different ages. Because of this, it’s a great place to explore and find the perfect tales for your tutees. There are also normally picture books, which, similarly to the video stories we mentioned, allow for children to pick up words and their meanings more easily by offering visual aids. And if you don't have a library nearby, exploring AI tools can even help you create your own stories or find well known ones very easily.
Final Thoughts on Stories for Kids
Stories for kids can make for a superb teaching assistant when it comes to tutoring English online as one of your side hustles from home. Once children have grasped basic English, it allows them to take that next step, adding words together to discover the meanings they can have when placed together. They’re almost interactive, allowing kids to be enthralled and entertained while they are learning – making the whole experience feel a lot less like work for them.