Storytelling Tips

A great storyteller tells stories.

A story does not have to come out of a book. Some of the most interesting stories come from everyday things. You don't need a prop, all you need is another person to listen to you. You can tell stories in the car, when the electricity goes off, as the kids go to sleep, or waiting in a doctor's office.

When you tell your children a story, they are learning story structure, they learn new vocabulary words from you, they form mental pictures that help them learn and remember new information, they develop their language skills by listening, and their attention span increases.

Stories connect a person to who they are. Stories about when you were little increases your child's self esteem.

Have you told a story today?

Nov 2006:

Tips for getting started.

Looking for a good story to tell at the festival this year? Start in the library. 398.2 is the call number to look under. You will find the best stories there. These are stories that have stood the test of time.

Look for a story you have never heard before. Chances are, your listeners will have never heard it either. How many of you want to hear Little Red Riding Hood again? But how many of you already know the story of Ondal the Fool? Both can be found in 398.2. Choose carefully.

Look for a story that you like. You will need to tell it over and over again and again, so make sure you like it enough to live with it for a long time.

When you find a story that you haven't heard before and that you like, start telling it. Your Mom, your Dad, your brothers, your neighbors are all great audiences for your story. The best way to develop a story is to tell it.

You don't have to write to tell a story. You don't even have to read to tell a story. Once you have heard a story, just tell it to someone.

Don't try to memorize it. Instead try to remember the order of the scenes. What happens first? What is next? You can draw a picture for each scene. Just like you did in Kindergarten. Professional storytellers often use this method to help them remember.

Pick out your story this month and you will be ahead. So, go ahead. Ask the librarian to show you where 398.2 is in your library. And if you need someone else to tell your story to, you can always tell me. I'm always up for a good story.