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The Power of Social Stories: Supporting Early Childhood Development

A follow-up to the Early Childhood Development Association of Malta (ECDAM) session of May 13 2025, presented by Dr Jonathan Borg, Faculty of Education, University of Malta.

Introduction

Social stories have emerged as a powerful tool in early childhood education, offering early years practitioners an effective approach to guiding children through various social situations. Following our recent ECDAM session where we explored the use and function of social stories, this article aims to provide a deeper understanding of this technique and how social stories can be practically applied in early years settings.

What Are Social Stories?

Social stories are personalised ‘narratives’ designed to help children understand social situations, develop appropriate responses, and address challenging circumstances. Originally developed by Carol Gray back in 1991 for children with autism spectrum disorders, social stories have since been recognised as beneficial for all children in early years settings (Gray, 2015).

According to Gray (2010), social stories provide information that can be easily understood by its audience and that is given in a patient and a reassuring manner.

These narratives bridge the children’s observations and the children’s understanding, enabling them to develop responses that are social appropriate for a specific context.

Core Functions of Social Stories in Early Years Settings

Research demonstrates that social stories serve multiple purposes in early childhood development:

1.  Understanding Emotions and Responses

Social stories have the potential to develop emotional literacy enabling children to recognise and understand their own feelings and those of others. As Howley and Arnold (2005) note, these narratives help children build empathy and self-awareness.

2.  Managing Transitions and Change

Unexpected but also planned changes to the routine, whether at home, at school or at the child care centre can be particularly challenging for young children. Social stories provide the necessary preparation for transitions, unexpected events, or disruptions such as school outings or fire drills. Kokina and Kern (2010) concluded that social stories were a highly effective tool that helped reduce anxiety during transitioning processes and when introduced prior to these events.

 

3.  Guiding Social Behaviour

Social stories provide clear guidance about socially-appropriate behaviour in different social contexts since they clarify social expectations in various situations. Significant improvements in prosocial behaviours have been demonstrated following social story interventions (More et al., 2014).

4.  Supporting Self-Care Skills

Daily routines like handwashing, toileting, and personal self-care can be effectively supported through social stories. These narratives weave in task analysis as they break complex tasks into manageable steps, resulting in the development of autonomous and self-determined young learners (Scattone et al., 2006).

5.  Preparing for New Experiences

Social stories provide chidlrenn with crucial information about what to expect, creating mental frameworks for new experiences (Test et al., 2011).

Creating Effective Social Stories

For social stories to be effective, Gray (2018) established ten specific criteria that practitioners should follow:

1. Each story should have a clear, specific goal addressing a particular situation or behaviour.
2. Follow a two-step discovery process involving gathering information and tailoring the story to the child's individual
3. Include a structured format with a title, introduction, body, and conclusion that reinforces key points.
4. Present the story in a format appropriate to the individual child, considering their abilities, interests, and attention
5. Use supportive language that is:
   • Limited to first- and third-person perspectives (avoiding direct "you" statements)
   • Written in appropriate tense (past, present or future)
   • Positive and patient in tone
   • Factually accurate and clear in meaning
6. Answer the fundamental questions of where, when, who, what, how, and
7. Balance descriptive sentences (explaining situations) with directive/coaching sentences

(suggesting responses).

8. Use descriptive rather than directive language that guides rather than
9. Regularly review and revise stories as children develop and situations
10. Include a clear implementation plan for using the story