Syllogistic reasoning abilities utilized to reach conclusions and to detect incoherence in texts which were evaluated among 30 children from schools where story telling and its discussion was frequently used (Experimental Group), and in 30 children from schools where this kind of activity was inexistent (Control Group). The children were from 5 to 6 years-old, who were, enrolled in four kindergarden classes of two private schools in Recife. They were tested at the beginning, at the end of the school year, and at the beginning of the following year, when they were enrolled in the first grade of elementary school. In the first phase, the control group presented slightly better results than the experimental group. In the second and third phases, the results were significantly better for the experimental group, and the differences were specially observed when the content of the syllogisms contradicted empirical facts. It is argued that story telling and discussion activities may be a good way to develop children's reasoning abilities and the reading comprehension.
logical reasoning; story comprehension; syllogisms
