ABSTRACT
In my opinion the best way for pupils to learn about the structure of stories is
for them to be exposed to stories of all kinds – not necessarily to be questioned
about or asked to analyse or otherwise ‘deconstruct’ stories constantly, but
simply for them to listen, absorb and enjoy. Such learning is called ‘osmotic’,
a soaking-up of insights and implicit (and of course often explicit) understanding
of how stories work. Pupils’ narrative intelligence (see page 39) will aid greatly in
this, though their natural potential for understanding needs to be enriched through
varied experience.
