Why Stories Stick: The Power of Storytelling in Teaching Lessons and Facts

You probably don't remember every fact or formula you learned in school — I know I don't. There were countless historical dates, literary elements, and math rules to juggle, and most of them have faded with time..Yet, some lessons and moments stand out vividly in our memories. Why? Because they came wrapped in an epic story.

The power of storytelling is often underrated. Stories help us retain facts, improve memory, and forge connections that leave a lasting impact. If you want your child to truly remember something, teach it through a story. Let’s explore how storytelling can transform learning."

The Power Of StoryTelling: How It Works

When presented with information through statistics and stories, only 5% remembered any statistic while 63% of the students remembered the story.

Stories are all around us. I guarantee that people are leveraging the power of storytelling in your life right now and you are unaware of it. Successful businesses and the top companies in the world do it every day. As well as the top Universities and educators. That is because "stories are twenty-two times more memorable than facts alone."

This is further proven in multiple studies researched by Stanford University. In one study, students were asked to make a one-minute pitch to their classmates. On average "a typical student used 2.5 statistics in their pitch." This differed greatly from the only " one in ten" who chose to tell a story.

What were the effects? After ten minutes the students were asked to recall as many ideas as they could from each pitch and write them on a sheet of paper. The results were astounding and clearly demonstrated the power of storytelling. "Only 5% remembered any statistic while 63% of the students remembered the story."

Furthermore, research shows that individuals are more likely to buy from a company that tells impactful stories that resonate with them. This was proven with the case of Save the Children. This charity is focused on the well-being of children worldwide and wanted to increase their reach and support.

They chose to run two marketing pamphlets. One just focused on alarming statistics and the facts. While the other shared those same facts along with a personal story about one of the children the organization was trying to assist. The individuals involved in the study were given five dollars as compensation, and at the end of the marketing portion they were given the chance to donate some of that money to the cause.

The group that was given the story donated twice as much as the group that was given the statistic-only pamphlet. This is because while people argue we should think with our heads and not our hearts, our bodies do not listen. Contrary to popular belief, it is emotion that drives the majority of decisions, not logic. We make a choice based on how something makes us feel and then we rationalize it later. This is why the power of storytelling is so impactful.

Putting It Into Practice: How To Leverage The Power Of Storytelling For Your Child

Teaching your child by leveraging the power of storytelling ensures that they are 22 times more likely to retain relevant information.

Did you know that 65% of Ted Talks are stories? Considering the power of storytelling, that probably doesn’t surprise you. TED Talks are designed to inspire and engage adults, with experts embedding statistics within compelling narratives to deliver impactful messages to wide audiences.

Why? Because stories work. Our brains are hard-wired to seek connection and meaning, and stories provide exactly that. One of my favorite speakers, Simon, Sinek, brilliantly illustrates this concept. In his example, he shows how people are often more emotionally affected by the death of one person than by the death of thousands. Logically, it doesn’t make sense—we should care more about larger losses. But it’s the story behind those lives that shapes our emotional response. The way information is presented matters as much as the information itself.

I share all of this with you to show you how the power of storytelling affects your daily life. How businesses use it against you, how your childhood education used it, and now, more importantly how you can leverage the power of storytelling in your own life.

Not just in your place of work or with your peers, but with your children. You can harness the power of storytelling and use it to teach your children important themes, concepts, and lessons. Ranging from important historical events to relevant themes or moral values you want to instill in them.

Now the big question is, how do you do it? For your story to be powerful and effective it needs to have these three key ingredients. It has to be:

• Memorable

• Impactful

• Personally Connect

The good news is that most stories naturally include these three traits, but it’s important to intentionally leverage them when shaping your narrative. For instance, let’s say you want to teach your five-year-old the importance of sharing. Instead of simply saying, 'Sharing is caring; it’s nice to share our toys,' show them why it matters. This is where your teacher’s lesson of 'show, don’t tell' becomes invaluable.

Imagine telling your child a story about a young boy whose family couldn’t afford new toys. One day, he went to the park, where all the other kids were playing with their toys and laughing together. The boy sat alone, feeling sad and left out because he didn’t have anything to play with. Then, another child, noticing him, decided to share their toy—a small but brave act. Suddenly, the lonely boy felt included, and the mood shifted. The boy who shared felt joy and fulfillment, and the two became fast friends.

Even in this basic, half-formed story, you can feel its emotional impact. Contrast that with simply stating a statistic like, 'Children who share are X% happier.' While the data might be accurate, it doesn’t leave the same lasting impression. Or consider this: what if I told you about two lifelong friends who just celebrated their 30th birthdays together? Their bond began at age five when one of them shared their little red fire truck on the playground. Which resonates more? That’s the power of storytelling—it makes lessons unforgettable

How Building Bright Minds Can Help

Building Bright Minds is an education company focused on making learning fun and fostering a deeper connection and useful skills.

So now you know, if you want something to stick in your child's mind leverage the power of storytelling. Write or tell a story that is memorable, impactful, and personally connects with them. You can do this by considering the following elements:

• Make the character their age and perhaps look like them OR have the main character go through something that your child may actually go through

  
  

• Tie emotion into the story. Create scenes that trigger feeling and connection

  
  

• Have a clear lesson or idea that you want your child to pull from the story and supporting evidence for that lesson within the story

If you’re using stories to teach historical events, you can craft a narrative that highlights the key theme or lesson you want to convey. For example, if you’re teaching about the three branches of government, you could create a story featuring kids their age in a world with no rules. As chaos unfolds, the children implement rules—each representing the roles of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Show how these ‘rules’ create balance and order, helping everyone thrive.

Once your child internalizes the main idea through the story, they’re more likely to connect with and retain the facts and statistics. You can say, 'Remember in the story how [specific example]? That’s how our government works too.' This approach not only teaches facts but makes the lessons engaging and memorable.

At Building Bright Minds, we believe in the transformative power of storytelling and literacy. That’s why we provide tools and activities designed to help families teach meaningful lessons, themes, and even statistics in a way that truly sticks. Our resources empower children to become better students while shaping essential life skills for adulthood. After all, storytelling doesn’t just teach kids—it shapes how all of us understand and engage with the world every day.

Remember, facts fade but stories stick. We offer many resources including our Bedtime Life Lessons Sheet (coming soon) , which helps you take bedtime stories to the next level. While telling the story of the princess who saved her kingdom, throw in some important moral values. We also have our Story Starter Pack (coming soon) which has short stories around important topics, themes, dates, and more to help you leverage the power of storytelling with your child. Each story starter also gives a list of ideas for how you could turn it into a lesson and activities to go along with it as well. This pack is always expanding so if there is an idea or lesson you want added to the pack reach out via email and we can work on adding it in.

Additionally we offer Parent Prompts (coming soon), a downloadable template that provides you with questions and prompts to help you or your child write your own meaningful stories. Questions such as:

• What problem is your fact solving?

• Who is the main character?

• What is the resolution?

• And more!

Finally, all of our children's books connect to deeper meaning, themes, or lessons. They also connect with various state learning standards, and activities for you and your child to engage in. Are you ready to shape your child's life through the power of storytelling? Leverage that power today and literally help write your child's future.