Storytelling for Children

Storytelling for children is fun! Storytelling is good for both the listener and the teller. We want to encourage you to put the book down and actually experience the joy of watching a child become immersed in the story. Although it might seem easier to just pop in one of those children’s storytelling tapes or CD’s, real storytelling with children requires the storyteller to be completely immersed in the experience, too.

Here are three storytelling tips to help you with storytelling for children. The tips apply for bedtime kid’s stories and even for storytelling in the classroom.

1. The most important storytelling technique: look the child in the eyes.
When you are holding a book, you can’t fully engage the child as you are giving your focus to the words. You’ve heard the expression, the eyes are the windows to the soul? The eyes are also the window to the inner lives of children. You can see the excitement building in their eyes or maybe you’ll see confusion and know you have to take your story slower. As well, children get to see your enthusiasm as they watch you tell.

2. Use gestures freely.
Be the elephant. Show the long trunk using your arm as you make elephants sounds! Point to where the characters are going. Put your hand to your brow as you squint to see far away things. When you are doing storytelling for children- remember that in their little minds, they often think the story is really happening! Use your whole body to tell stories! Remember, your voice is part of the storytelling process. Use a big voice to be a loud giant or a small, squeaky voice for little mice. Have some fun and mix it up- how about the giant having the small squeaky voice?

3. Expect a demand for repeat performances!
When you have hit upon a story that children love or need to hear, they’ll ask for that story over and over. Since you’re not relying on a book for your storytelling stories, you will always be ready to captivate a child with a great story. By the way, children love repetition. It’s normal for a child to want the same story over and over again. There’s something in your great story that the child subconsciously needs to learn or understand. So, when you are asked for the same story, know that you are helping that child grow and learn. Literacy begins at home!

Put down the storybook, learn some classic bedtime stories and join the fun of storytelling with children.

We will help you get started. Go to the www.daddyteller.com site today and download a free story to learn to tell. Look for the little mouse on the front page and click right on him.

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Sean Buvala is the executive director of Storyteller.net. He’s also the author of the parenting book “DaddyTeller: How to be a Hero to Your Kids and Teach Them What’s Really Important by Telling Them One Simple Story at a Time,” where he teaches Dads (and Moms, too!) how to engage their children with anytime storytelling.

Tags: eye contact, gestures, repeating, storytelling stories, storytelling techniques, storytelling tip, tips

This entry was posted on Friday, June 25th, 2010 at 5:23 pm and is filed under StoryTelling Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.