By reading books and making up Stories for your child, you've been priming the pump for storytelling. A 3-year-old may tell stories to you, his friends, his teddy bear, or himself as he walks, plays, or lies in bed. These stories can be disjointed mishmashes of some of the stories he's heard from you. Whatever their source or form, you should encourage tale-spinning. It's a sign that there is some real thinking going on in there.

As your child's language skills evolve, he'll start to tell you more elaborate stories. Hooray! Storytelling is a great step in a preschooler's development.

It's happening now because at 3, your child is capable of a complex chain of events: He can experience something, think about it, and then tell a story about it. These stories — real or fictional or a mix of both — help little kids make sense of everyday events and the people they meet.

You may see your child telling stories to himself or his toys. They can be completely fantastical, or they can combine several real-life events into one narrative. If you're the audience, listen appreciatively. Encourage him with questions as he spins yarns about the picture he drew or the book he's reading. Invite him to add details to stories you tell.

To help keep the creative juices flowing, make sure your child hears stories of all kinds — fairy tales, anecdotes from your own life, fables, picture-book tales. Acting these stories out will also strengthen his imagination and storytelling abilities.