Storytelling and Pre-Schoolers

A Teaching Outline by Wendy Welch

These notes are the outline of a class taught in Scotland by Wendy Welch, to teach storytelling techniques to teachers of preschool children. They are presented in a step by - step order. You are welcome to use any exercises or ideas within them. Please do credit the appropriate sources.

WE START WITH THE STORY 1. Identify the Childs' Interest If you know them well, great; if not, think about that age group
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Animals Stories where children their age are heroes Stories about things children like to do: getting dirty, playing with an adult around, trying something new for the first time, etc. [NOT things adults think children like: going to the circus, etc. which can go flat if you can't think like a child]

2. Where do you Find Good Stories?

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Stories from your head (remembered, made up) Picture books (especially if trying to excite reading) Your public or school library has many collections of Folktales often compiled in easy format books, or adaptable to your needs. Family stories (but don't discover yourself on other people's time!)

3. Key Elements to a Successful Storytime

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Know and like your story Know and like your audience Make sure they match each other Be flexible

THEN WE WORK ON THE TELLER

4. How do you Learn a Story to Tell?

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Learn the bare bones plot (3 pigs left home and each built a house: one of sticks, one of straw, one of bricks. A wolf came and blew down the straw and stick houses. He tried to get into the brick house but got boiled when he went down the chimney into a pot of water. The End; a fox made a crow drop some cheese by flattering her into opening her mouth to sing. The End. Etc.) Tell it to yourself while driving (mind the traffic wardens!) Tape it if you want Use a mirror if you want Remember, you're not trying out for the London Theatre; relax and have fun

REMEMBER: ENVIRONMENT IS IMPORTANT!

5. Even if you Know the Story, you can't Keep Infants' Attention in HyperSituations
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Room temp, noise level, physical environment TIP: In a hot room, don't do action stories/ but do a warm-up poem in cold room Special situations: emotional atmosphere (have there been recent deaths, etc.) TIP: Let kids talk; let them choose elements of the story and you "improv" them in (the king's gifts, e.g. or what tasks the girl had to do, etc.) This improvisation is not nearly as hard as it sounds, particularly if you and the kids already know each other

The Easter Bunny is due in ten minutes TIP: Don't go on before the Easter Bunny. Period!

The kids are rowdy, restless, just ate sugar TIP: If kids arrive early for a program, encourage them to walk about rather than sit. If it is possible to control timing, tell before they eat. Pay attention to what kids want/expect; don't attempt the impossible. Start with a calming poem. Set up expectations. "If you can hear me" games.

If You Can Hear Me is a technique for regaining control of a noisy room. The adult stands at the front and says very quietly "If you can hear me I want you to pat your head." She pats, and as one or two kids catch on and begin patting, the noise dies down. As it does, the adult increases her voice level until everyone can hear the instructions and do the action.) 2

MAKING STORIES EXCITING AND FUN

6. Add the tools of the teller:

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Voice Body Face Imagination Enthusiasm/Spirit (Cooperation with the audience!)

Voice A good voice exercise is to write some sentences on a blackboard, and have each person say them in different situations. For instance, say "I want a cup of coffee" as though you were tired, happy, angry, disgusted, humiliated, etc. Then change this to an entire situation: you are in your boss's office and he has just fired you. Let them choose the emotion and the voice.

Body Language A good body exercise is one I learned from Heather Forest. Have two people hold up a sheet, and two more stand behind it, the sheet covering their torsos and upper legs. Whisper an emotion into their ears, and then say "go." Have the students point out what made them know which emotions they were imitating. This is called cultural knowledge. We know when people are angry, sad, excited, etc. We don't always know why we know, but we do know. So do kids

in fact, they are sometimes quicker to pick this up because they need it for living by adult rules. So be careful with your face and body language; the kids are reading it.

Imagination There are many old theatre games that work well here. One I like is the Magic Box - an imaginary box that goes around the circle, each person pulling out and using an object until everyone has guessed what it is. This involves the next tool: cooperation. Someone will choose something complex or esoteric, and no one will be able to guess. Then we have to cooperate with the audience, help them, give them clues. It is our responsibility, not theirs, to provide the communication needed to make the link to our thoughts.

7. Practice
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A tape recorder will let you hear what your voice is doing A mirror will let you observe your face and body 3

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Mulling the story over will bring out imaginative sparks Taking it all too seriously will kill your enthusiasm and spirit

8. Remember: you're not just telling stories; you're teaching them to be an audience
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Intersperse with rhymes, fingerplays, prop stories Sing Keep stories short

Participation Stories

9. Ways to Participate Kids love to move, to see things develop in front of them (balloons, origami, etc.) And they love to get to yell, talk, laugh, make themselves a part of the story.

Refrains
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Breathing - take a great big breath just before you want them to join in "and then the giant said. . ." done slowly hand gestures conduct them with a sweeping motion. Kids are quick. practice beforehand if very tricky, but incorporating the "now I want you to do this" won't spoil the surprise, particularly if you use one of the above techniques rather than breaking the story to give instructions. Kids will begin repeating when repetition becomes obvious, if you let them know you want it.

Actions
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tricky with rowdy group magic velcro use Magic velcro is a Wendy invention. I use it with a poem about running puppies. This is a basic scenario: "Okay, now everybody is standing up, right? Here we go. Pick your right leg up with your hands. Now stick it to the floor with the magic (or imaginary) velcro. Push it down hard. Wiggle it around. Is it stuck? Oops, that one's not stuck; better try again. Everybody stuck? Good, now the left leg. Okay, can you move your feet off the floor? Try." All sorts of contortions as you show them your feet are stuck. "Okay, now let's run with our feet stuck to the floor!" If you do it, they will do it. 4

Sounds

building a fire techniques.This is an old story technique, involving creating a rainstorm or building a fire. It is available in many books. Individual parts (getting the kids to take parts and act out a story)

tricky but possible with pre-schoolers, easier with older kids. I recommend if you are going to do this that you choose a very repetitive story, like The Three Bears. Choosing parts doesn't always work well with strangers entering a classroom. Teachers who are familiar to the kids have better results.

10. Limit the number of participation stories per program, but be ready to be flexible (If you're going to use it, use it sparingly!) Ways to participate
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go over the stories individual class members have been working on and look for places in individual stories where these could be inserted. Not every story has them, not every class participant wants them. But it is a good exercise to identify them.

Finding stories appropriate to age groups and special circumstances

11. Librarians are our Friends but YOU are your Greatest Resource

Look at books with discernment - some books are for adults to buy kids, some books are for kids to enjoy. Know the difference. Give people time to look through the stack of books on the tables (brought from home). Sudden death exercise (Wendy's own invention again): each student is given a picture book chosen for her or him, no choice in the matter. They get five minutes to read the book (which is VERY simple - I keep a supply on hand.) Then take the book away - no matter how they plead or cry, take the book. They get five to ten minutes, then they tell the story. This is good for the end of the class, when they have the techniques but are still unconfident about not reading. It really works well.

12. Last Things before Leaving the Class

Brainstorm ways the stories students choose to work on could be made into special circumstance stories (to combat teasing, to cope with family 5

situations, etc.) Work together as a class if it is small enough, in groups if it is not. Do a balloon story together this is a type of telling I do where people are given balloon hats and props and asked to play parts in well known fairy tales. It won't be appropriate for most users of these notes.

Children love stories! Sharing stories is an essential part of their development and not just for the launch pad it offers into reading and writing. Stories tell us so much about the world we live in and the people and animals we share it with. Storytime is an exciting time for children as they settle down into an expectant mood ready to have their imaginations stimulated. And there are so many beautifully illustrated books out there to fire the imagination.

Storytelling - Benefits and Tips

We often give stories to our students to read, but how often do we tell them a story? This article looks at the benefits of storytelling and gives advice on performance skills

What can storytelling offer? Storytelling and intercultural understanding Other benefits of using storytelling in the classroom Commonalities of cultures around the world Performance techniques A last word What can Storytelling Offer? Children have an innate love of stories. Stories create magic and a sense of wonder at the world. Stories teach us about life, about ourselves and about others. Storytelling is a unique way for students to develop an understanding, respect and appreciation for other cultures, and can promote a positive attitude to people from different lands, races and religions.

Storytelling and Intercultural Understanding There are a number of ways in which storytelling can enhance intercultural understanding and communication. Stories can

allow children to explore their own cultural roots 6

allow children to experience diverse cultures enable children to empathise with unfamiliar people/places/situations offer insights into different traditions and values help children understand how wisdom is common to all peoples/all cultures offer insights into universal life experiences help children consider new ideas reveal differences and commonalties of cultures around the world

Other Benefits of Using Storytelling in the Classroom

Stories

Promote a feeling of well-being and relaxation Increase children's willingness to communicate thoughts and feelings Encourage active participation Increase verbal proficiency Encourage use of imagination and creativity Encourage cooperation between students Enhance listening skills Commonalities of cultures around the world Stories reveal universal truths about the world. Through stories we see how very different people share the same life experiences and how human nature can transcend culture.

Performance techniques Telling a story can captivate an audiencethat is, with the right techniques and a little practice:

Remembering and retelling the plot:

map the plot as a memory technique use story skeletons to help you remember the key events think of the plot as a film or a series of connected images tell yourself the story in your own words create your own version of the story (adapt and improvise) retell it numerous times until it feels like a story Performance skills Remember to...

vary the volume, pitch and tempo of your voice (enunciate clearly and exaggerate expression) use your face, body and gestures (let your body speak) 7

make your body and face respond to the tale have a clear focus and maintain concentration maintain engaging eye contact with the audience/ individual listeners create a charismatic presence (make the audience believe in you) use different, exaggerated character voices use your space/ be dynamic remember to pace yourself always remember to regain your style as a narrator use silence and pauses to add dramatic effect

A last word

Young Learners share a remarkable variety of personal experiences, values and ways of understanding. The language they learn in the classroom is the tool they use to shape their thoughts and feelings. It is more than a way of exchanging information and extending ideas, it is their means of reaching out and connecting with other people. Stories can link not only between the world of classroom and home but also between the classroom and beyond. Stories provide a common thread that can help unite cultures and provide a bridge across the cultural gap. (Adapted from a workshop by Paula Stoyle, British Council, Jordan)

Storytelling Techniques, Hints and Tips

Storytelling is good for you! Storytelling develops your imagination. It also develops your powers of description. It teaches you to "hold an audience", so people listen to you.

Storytelling helps you to appreciate others and yourself. You discover hidden talents of your own. You gain more confidence and self esteem. Storytelling helps you gain empathy for creatures and people. You learn truly to value and enjoy the Natural World. You learn facts and words in an enjoyable way.

Storytelling makes you laugh and teaches you to make others laugh, or feel emotions. It helps you feel part of a group. The group can plan other projects, like outings or visits. Storytelling can improve you lifestyle.

How long is a Story? How long is a piece of string? 8

Stories can be very long or very short, or something in between. Sometimes the short ones are the best. A long story should never be boring. Then it stops being a story.

Whom do you tell a story to? Yourself? A crowd? Preachers tell stories to a crowd. If they are good, a crowd gathers to hear them. You can tell stories to yourself, to an imaginary friend, a doll, a pet or even a baby brother or sister who cant follow the words but likes the sounds.

You can tell a story to a teacher, a group, or a class; even to a whole school, though for that you would need to build up your voice volume. You can tell a story to a friend, a group of friends old or new, or a storytelling club, if you join or visit one. You can tell a story at home to one or two of your family members or at a bigger family gathering, like on holiday, at Christmas or other Festivals.

You can even tell a story to someone who is not listening, and practise for the time when someone will. You can even tell a story to someone who is bullying you or others. You can also listen to a story in a foreign language. You can even learn enough of another language, including signing for the deaf, to be able to tell a story to someone who has that language. Where do you tell stories? Anywhere safe and sound.

You can best tell stories in a quiet, comfy place in company of people you can trust. If you feel you could be bullied, teased or laughed at unfairly, it spoils things. But you can build trust. You can tell a story up a mountain, in a garden, a car, a castle, or home. You can create the storys atmosphere almost anywhere. If you sit in a circle, you feel you are sharing. You can take turns to tell a story each, short or long, (not too long!). Or you could pass a story round the group, that is:- one starts and the next one continues, right round the group. A shy person could just do a few words, or a little bit of mime, or some sounds, even with a percussion instrument.

Everybodys contribution is valuable. They all help to move the story on. Good listeners are important for a story too.

People tell stories every day You probably do too! Have you ever told someone a story you have heard from someone else? Have you told someone a story you have read in a book or magazine? Or a story you have seen on TV or a video or heard on a storytape or CD? Have you told someone of real life things that have happened to you, or someone else? You are a storyteller, and probably a good one!

Everybody has some Storytelling skills You probably tell stories already, using a few traditional techniques. See if you can add one or two more skills each time you tell a story, and that way build up your skills. Maybe you could add some more skills to the list below.

Here is a Storytelling Skills List. Tick off the skills you use:

Sit on comfy chairs, or cross-legged on the floor, and look around you audience with a welcoming smile and bright eyes. Say where you got your story from:- for example, a book, a film, a person, your life, a dream or your imagination. Try to create an atmosphere, like casting a good spell. Set the scene for your audience. Start with the time, place and weather of the story. Use facial expressions, to show the feelings of your characters, their nature or personality, or the situation they are in, eg shy or cold. Speak more slowly and loudly than normal, so everyone can hear, and sit near anyone hard of hearing. Vary the speed, pace and volume of your voice where appropriate. Make your voice melodic and interesting. Use your hands, shoulders and body as much as you can, to show shapes of objects, scenery, actions and feelings. Use mime and gesture to "paint the story", like a picture. Role-play any dialogue, with characterful voices. Help the audience to feel sympathy for the characters and their situation. Use other sounds, for example, weather sounds, like wind or rain; happening sounds, like explosions or rustling; animal sounds; emotional sounds, like sighs, sobs, yawns. You can ask the audience to help you, by making the sounds. Leave a space between words or sentences sometimes, to create an atmosphere. Look around the audience with expectation. Occasionally surprise them with a loud noise, but do not frighten very young children. Involve your audience if you like, with phrases like "As you know the sea is deep and mysterious..." or ask them questions like "What might a sea monster look like"? Keep the traditional style of storytelling, but develop your own style inside and around that. Buy storytelling tapes to learn from them.

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Try to go to workshops or festivals where you can hear storytellers. Join or form a local storytelling club. Keep in touch with other clubs. Collect stories from magazines, books, films, videos, TV, people, your own experience and your imagination.

For years, lots of research has been going on the importance of story telling to children. Psychologists and researchers have discovered that stories support the physical, emotional andspiritual growth of the child. Stories are good way to convey morals and values to the child. When we talk to the children as parents, they would never bother to listen to them. But when they come from their favourite characters mouth, children tend to accept it and follow it. Many people may not have realized the real value of story telling. But the fact remains the stories provoke the children to think, talk and enact what they have learnt. This is a medium to reinforce the values and virtues in the children so that they get embedded in their young minds. Schools have also realised the importance of story telling. There are specific dedicated hours for stories. School libraries also lend books to children to take home and read. Reading and telling stories also help to improve the vocabulary of the child and make their language stronger. There are different types of stories each with a different purpose. The fairy tales introduced by the Victorians in the nursery school are meant to stimulate the imagination and thinking skills of the children. Children love dressing up as prince and princess and doing role play of thesestories. The moral stories are meant to instill good values and principles. Panchatantra and Hitopadesha stories for kids were originated in India hundreds of years back. These stories are famous in the world for teaching lessons about real life situations and moral values. These stories portray different life situations and tell the children the right and wrong way to react to these as well. Mythological stories are full of good virtues and ethics. Traditional stories teach children about the culture and traditions followed by our forefathers. Funny stories amuse and entertainchildren while the bedtime stories are very sober and help children get a good night sleep. Each type of a story has purpose and directly or indirectly influences the life of the child. To conclude, reading out or saying stories to children is a good way to tell the children about values, principles, morals and ethics and prepare them to face the world when they grow up. More Similar Posts: 1. Importance of Moral Values for Children 11

2. 3. 4. 5.

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