The Art of Storytelling

There is no other way better than storytelling to grab the attention and stimulate the minds of children. Why children love stories? How to choose a story apt for a particular age group? What are the benefits of storytelling? Yes, stories and storytelling involve many things and here we are bringing important elements involved in a good story and the art of storytelling.

Storytelling is an art and it is an activity of learning. It helps learning about different culture, values, traditions, life of unfamiliar people, creatures and places. You can use stories for different purposes. Using stories for relaxation doesn’t require much preparation. Because your aim is just to change the monotonous and droning atmosphere of the classroom and students.  But when you use stories for learning purpose you must be more cautious.

First of all remember, storytelling is a three-way relationship between the story teller, the story and children.

Simple stories are always good for classrooms rather than stories with complicated plot. When you select stories for kids below 10 years, choose a simple story with good moral values in it where king helps beggar, hard work leads to success, life of poor people, what is true wealth, greed isn’t good, wisdom and folly etc. When you present a story before kids, remember to use simple and common words that help learn English words and pronunciation. Avoid complicated nouns and reduce use of adjectives.

When you narrate a story, the usage of facial expressions, voice modulation and tempo are very important. Use your whole body, eyes, hands, and legs so as to bring feeling and action. Shouldn’t deviate from the topic and do not say unnecessary comments and questions breaking the mood of the listeners. Use your space dynamically and regulate your pace as per the situation of the story. Remember you can also communicate with a timely silence and pause which can bring dramatic effect to the story.

There are thousands of short stories for kids available online. Read it and narrate it beautifully before your kids. Stories help your kids to acquire a host of skills such as Listening Skills, Word Recognition Skills, Word Pronunciation and Usage etc. Storytelling is also a good way to Inculcate Good Reading Habits in Children.