Secrets to Successful Storytelling

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Secrets to Successful Storytelling

• By Rev. Jason F. Rhode
• EdRd6507 Language Literacy Development
• Seattle Pacific University
• December 9, 2002

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Stories Communication

• Law of Communication
• Stories provide wonderful bridges on which
  information can be
• Jesus told stories (parables)
• Principle of Neural System Failure

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Related Concepts

• Story Reading
• Storying
• Storytelling

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Read-aloud stories

• Powerful learning tool
• Text Talk
• Builds comprehension of the story.
• Questions prompt greater language development.
• Teaching and encouraging use of new words after
  the story has been read.

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Instructional Strategies Used During Storybook
Reading

• (1) Eliciting (seeking to obtain known
  information from the students)
• (2) Inviting (extending an open-ended invitation
  to share ideas)
• (3) Informing (telling students information)
• (4) Reviewing (reexamining the story in its
  entirety or from its beginning up to the point
  where reading was stopped)
• (5) Recapitulating (restating textual information
  that was read in the segment of the text
  immediately prior to the point at which the
  teacher stopped reading)
• (6) Eliciting reading (attempting to induce the
  students to read part of the text)
• (7) Reacting to text (sharing an affective
  response to the story with the students.

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Storying

• Constructing stories in the mind

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Storytelling

• Definition
• The art of bringing a story to life through the
  inflection in ones voice, rhythm, facial
  expressions, and hand movements.

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Storytelling Retelling
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Practical Storytelling Ideas

• Life stories of family members through
  interviews.
• Rewrites in a different form.
• Point of view stories.
• Drama or dress as a character.
• Puppets.
• Locate on a world map the location of a story.
• Tape stories and add to listening library.
• Make a story quilt.
• Music and dance.
• Write stories and make class books.
• Parallel reading.
• Make posters, book covers, and ads from a story.
• Retell stories and put them on the computer.
• Write poems related to the story.
• Invite parents, grandparents, or church members
  to class to tell stories.

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Choosing Stories

• Regarding the story.
• Do you like the story and have a strong desire to
  communicate it?
• Do you agree with its content?
• Do you appreciate the style of writing?
• Is it within your scope of ability to tell?

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Choosing Stories

• Regarding the audience
• Will the story develop a companionship between
  you and your audience?
• Will it interest the age group present?
• Is it suitable for the sex or sexes present? (A
  rule of thumb if the boys like it, the girls
  will also)
• Does it move with enough action, dialogue, and
  suspense to maintain interest?
• Does it tell its own message?
• Will it have a lingering impact?

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Choosing Stories

• Regarding the occasion
• Does the story fit the season of the year, or can
  it be adapted to do so?
• Does it lend itself to the environment of the
  occasion?
• Can the length be adjusted to meet your needs?
• Does it fulfill your aim?
• Can it be given to the glory of God?

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Early Childhood Language Development

• Encode and maintain a phonological representation
  of the novel word
• Extract clues from the semantic, syntactic, and
  pictorial contexts to constrain memory search for
  potential meanings in the case of learning
  synonyms for known referents and to facilitate
  the inferential process
• Select or construct a potentially appropriate
  meaning
• Associate the inferred meaning with the
  phonological representation of the novel word
• Integrate and store the new knowledge with the
  existing knowledge base.

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Storytelling for Preschoolers

• 1 Involve the children actively in each
• story.
• 2 Appeal to the childrens five senses
• 3 Use the childrens names in the story
• 4 Focus on events of high interest to
• preschoolers.
• 5 Emphasize Gods part of the story
• 6 Use the time just before and just after the
  story to focus childrens
• attention on the story.

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Overview of Storytelling Techniques

• Rector, D. E. (1996). The Art of Storytelling
  (2nd ed.)
• Email dan.rector_at_northcentral.edu

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Storytelling...You are the Key!

• Your appearance
• Your movements
• Your poise
• Your voice
• Your face
• Your emotions

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Story Elements

• Introductory setting
• Action
• Climax
• Conclusion

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Donts of Storytelling

• Dont read to your audience. Give them your
  attention. Make it your story and tell it.
• Dont memorize only the general ideas. Vital
  details can slip away when you are under the
  stress of facing your audience.
• Dont memorize verbatim. You will be wooden,
  chained to your material, restricted and
  inhibited.
• Avoid the use of flashbacks have little time
  change in the story.

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Donts of Storytelling (cont)

• Avoid interrupting your story to make
  corrections this is very confusing to your
  audience.
• Never talk down to the children, treat them as
  equals
• Dont keep talking when you have reached the end.
  Dont add explanations, apologies, or
  afterthoughts after you have reached your
  conclusion.

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Dos of Storytelling

• Write down the complete story with all the extras
  and become so familiar with it that it is a part
  of you.
• Then live the story! Tell it from your heart,
  with expression!

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Finer Points of Delivery

• Story length
• Important words and phrases
• Repetition
• Changing voice volume
• The pause
• Variety in your voice
• Pacing
• Throw-away lines
• The quick cue

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Where to Find Stories

• Your personal experience
• Books
• On T.V.
• Movies
• In the Bible
• In the newspaper
• Other people
• Internet
• Email

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Visual Ideas

• Puppet
• Costume
• Objects
• Slides of overhead transparencies
• Broom puppets
• Children as actors

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Go ahead and start telling stories!

• If you have further questions, feel free to
  contact me at 715.887.3565 or at
  pastorjason_at_clfkids.org.

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Storytelling Websites

• Eldrbarry The Art of Storytelling
• http//www.eldrbarry.net/roos/art.htm
• Storytelling Passport to the 21st Century
• http//www.creatingthe21stcentury.org/
• Storytelling in the Classroom
• http//www.storyarts.org/classroom/

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References

• Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G. (2001). Text Talk 
  Capturing the benefits of read-aloud experiences
  for young children. The Reading Teacher, 55(1),
  10-20.
• Cameron, S. (1998). Telling A Great Story.
  Camping Magazine, 71(4), 16-18.
• Champion, T. B., Katz, L., Muldrow, R.,
  Rochelle, D. (1999). Storytelling and Storymaking
  in an Urban Preshool Classroom  Building Bridges
  from Home to School Culture. Topics in Language
  Disorders, 19(3), 52-67.
• Clark, R. E., Brubaker, J., Zuck, R. B. (1986).
  Childhood Education in the Church. Chicago, IL
  Moody Press. (Original work published 1975)
• Colon-Vila, L. (1997). Storytelling in an ESL
  Classroom. Teaching PreK-8, 27(5), 58-59.
• Denner, P. R., McGinley, W. J., Brown, E..
  Effects of Story Impressions as a
  Prereading/Writing Activity on Story
  Comprehension. Journal of Educational Research,
  82(6), 320-326.
• Ellard, S.. Focus on Early Childhood  A Handbook
  for Teachers. Springfield, MO Gospel Publishing
  House.
• Ellyatt, W. (2002). Learning More About the Power
  of Narrative and Storytelling. Paths of Learning,
  3-5.

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References (cont.)

• Gruber, D. (1993). Focus on Children  A Handbook
  for Teachers. Springfield, MO Gospel Publishing
  House.
• Hendricks, H. G. (1987). Teaching to Change
  Lives. Portland, OR Multomath Press.
• Kalfus, J., Van Der Schyff, L. (1996).
  Storytelling  Sharing our lives through
  storytelling in a multiage classroom setting.
  Teaching PreK-8, 27(1), 72-74.
• LeFever, M. D. (1996). Creative Teaching Methods.
  Colorado Springs, CO Cook Ministry Resources.
• Martinez, M. G., Teale, W. H.. Classroom
  Storybook Reading  The Creation of Text and
  Learning Opportunities. Theory Into Practice,
  18(2), 126-135.
• Perry, B. (1999). How the Brain Learns Best.
  Instructor, 110(4), 34-35.
• Rector, D. E. (1996). The Art of Storytelling
  (2nd ed.)
• Reed, B. (1987). Storytelling  What it Can
  Teach. School Library Journal, 34(2), 35-39.

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References (cont.)

• Connection Between Oral Language and Early
  Reading. Journal of Educational Research, 95(5),
  259-272.
• Senechal, M., Thomas, E., Monker, J.-A. (1987).
  Individual Divverences in 4-Year-Old Children's.
  Journal of Educational Psychology, 87(2),
  218-229.
• Sook-Yi, K. (1999). The Effects of Storytelling
  and Pretend Play on Cognitive Processes,
  Short-Term and Long-Term Narrative Recall. Child
  Study Journal, 29(3), 175-189.
• Wells, Gordon, (1986). The Meaning Makers
  Children Learning Language and Using Language to
  Learn. Portsmouth, NH Heinemann.
• Woodard, J. (2002). Reading Skills Enhanced via
  Storytelling. Library Talk, 15(4), 16-17.
• Zabel, M. (1991). Storytelling, Myths, and Folk
  Tales  Strategies for Multicultural Inclusion.
  Preventing School Failure, 36(1), 32-34.