Storytelling Tips for the Classroom

 

 STORIES AS A TEACHING TOOL

 

WHY? (as in Why Bother?)

 

1. Cost effective - often free, no investment in education - gizmos not necessary.

2. Accessible, inexhaustible resource.

3. Flexible teaching tool. Stories can be used for the obvious subjects (English, History) and the not-so-obvious ( Social Studies, use of a library, and yes, even Math and Science.)

4. Imagination building. Develops this often-neglected mental muscle.

5. Natural, age-old medium for communication of feelings and ideas.--Stories in the form of religious writings, myths, and legends have long been a vehicle for the  passing along of tradition, customs, family and popular lore, and even ethics.

 

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HOW?

  -The following activities are arranged on a somewhat logical, sequential spectrum which begins with those that are "teacher-centered" and building toward activities which are "student-centered".-

 

TEACHER-CENTERED ACTIVITIES

 

1. Teacher READS STORY to students.

 

      *Teacher reads story and adds CHARACTERIZATION (voices)

 

      *Teacher reads story and adds DRAMATIZATION (intonation, movements, facial expressions.)

 

2. Teacher TELLS STORY to students. (Characterization and dramatization are even more easily integrated here.)

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TEACHER AND STUDENT CENTERED ACTIVITIES

 

1. Teacher READS story, students REFRAIN (chorus)

 

2. Teacher and students SHARE READING. e.g. Students take characters' dialogue in story.

 

3. Teacher READS, students DRAMATIZE: without dialogue or with dialogue (lip-mime) - (WARMUPS are useful here.)

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STUDENT-CENTERED ACTIVITIES

 

1. STUDENT READS STORY to class or small group of students.

 

2. STUDENTS READ to class or groups, adding Characterization, Dramatization.

 

3. Student READS, other students DRAMATIZE.

 

4. STUDENTS TELL STORY to class or groups.

 

5. Students TELL, others DRAMATIZE.

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TECHNIQUES OF LEARNING STORIES

 

1. Find a story that you enjoy. - You will probably be telling it a dozen or more times and if you are indifferent about the story, it won't come out well.

 

2. Read it to yourself silently and aloud 2 or 3 times.

 

3. Start to learn it in parts, practicing aloud as you learn. As each part is learned go back to the text to see what you have missed or need work on.

 

4. Tell what your story is about, all the way through, without using any prompts as fast as you can. If you are stuck, remember the general outline of what your story is about and just tell what you know until you remember where you are. (This is your back up plan. When you forget during a performance an exact line, you should be able to work through it the same way as this).

 

5. When you know the whole story, practice it aloud using different voices, pitches and dynamics until you find ones that fit the story. (It helps to have different voices for different characters.)

 

6. Find an audience to practice on, e.g. your family, friends, relatives, other classes, etc. (You can try different ways of telling on different audiences.)

 

7. If you feel comfortable, ask for suggestions on how to improve your telling.

 

8. Tell your story.

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** Remember - each time you tell your story, it helps  to go back to the text to review things you missed and need to work on.**

 

** A STORY ISN'T REALLY YOURS UNTIL YOU'VE TOLD IT AT LEAST 4 TIMES IN FRONT OF AUDIENCES.* *