-
Storytelling tips for Teachers
- These
tips are taken from the May 1991 issue of Instructor. The article is
called “A Teachers Guide to Storytelling”.
-
-
Helping Children Choose Stories
- *Preselect
a pool of stories for younger children and students who have never told
a story.
- *Tell
or read examples of different kinds of stories.
- *Each
student should consider their audience before choosing a story.
- *Each
student should also read at least five stories before choosing his/her
story to tell.
-
*Every students should tell a different story.
-
-
Helping Children Learn Their Stories
- There
are many ways to learn a story. Listed below are some suggested ways.
- *Read
it over and over again... tape it and listen to it repeatedly.
- *Make
a pictorial outline of the story.
- *List
the major events of the story...categorize them as beginning, middle, or
ending. Then look for recurring lines such as “Over the sunny hills and
the cool valleys.”
-
*Encourage students to put stories in their own words while remaining
true to the time and place of the story.
-
*Stories should not be memorized but a student should consider
memorizing the first and last lines of a story so that a student can
begin and end a story with confidence.
- *Have
students try to imagine how a character speaks and looks and then
incorporate that into the story.
-
*Students can incorporate some similes into their stories...”He was so
tall that......”.
- *Is
there a part where the audience can join in, such as in, “I’ll huff, and
I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house down.”
-
*Sometimes students may find that telling their story to a mirror can be
helpful.
-
-
Voice
-
*Encourage students to use expression, reflect the feeling and mood of
the story, and emphasize the appropriate words.
-
*Sufficient volume is also very important.
- *Make
sure you are not speaking too slowly or too fast. Tempo should be varied
within the story and should reflect the mood of the story.
-
*Students can use the pitch of their voices to reflect different
characters.
-
-
Body Language
-
*Practice using facial expression to reflect different emotions present
in a story.
- *With
body movements students should do what comes naturally and should only
use body movements that enhance the story.
-
-
The Performance
-
*Students should make eye contact and pause a moment before
beginning their story.
-
*Stories should be introduced before beginning.
-
*Remind students that the audience is supportive and
wants them to do well. Continue to make eye
contact during the story!
-
*If students make a mistake tell them to go on with out calling
attention to it. Do not apologize to your audience!!!
-
*If distractions occur, such as a baby crying, or a bell ringing,
....pause till the noise is over then continue. Do not comment on the
problem or get flustered.
-
*Remain relaxed and take problems in stride you’ll do fine
|