Just wanted to say a few words about children retelling after listening to stories. Retelling is also a strategy used after reading a story as well. Great connections between storytelling and literacy! When retelling, children need to organize their thoughts. In short, they have to think. They think...
Storytelling, Literacy, & Listening
Fun! Entertaining! And Powerful! Who doesn’t want to listen to a great story? But did you ever think of the connections between literacy and storytelling? There are plenty! Let’s start with listening. Listening is directly linked with speaking. And listening and speaking are connected to reading and writing. It’s...
Stories Are Magic
Wait till you hear this! I was playing with my two-year-old grandson on the floor with his little cars and trucks. He pretty much was entertaining himself at one point, and I started thinking about a storytelling performance that was soon coming up with YMCA day campers. I was...
Join In, Everybody!
A great story is even better when the listeners actively become involved in the storytelling experience. Children especially love to participate. They can repeat lines like “Aha!” or “Who will help me?” They can sing a little ditty or make sounds like screams and giggles. They also enjoy physical...
Time to Perform – Using Your Voice
Time to perform! All eyes and ears will be on you, but you’ll be ready because you have picked, pictured, and practiced. Here are some tips to help you through the best part of storytelling…the telling! We’ll start with your voice. Voice When telling a story, use your regular...
Let Me Look Into Your Eyes!
Now you see me…now you don’t! Which actually could seem quite true in a storytelling session. After all, the listeners are picturing your story in their minds, so maybe you really do “disappear!” The best tip when telling a story…look at your audience. Maintain eye contact. Your audience will...
Practice! Practice! Practice!
I practice my stories three times, hence the title of this blog. When you feel comfortable with your stories and ready to tell them, you’ll know what’s right for you as far as number of practice times needed. A new story for me means lots of thinking about the...
Practice Makes Perfect…Well, Not Exactly.
Okay, you’ve picked your story and you’re ready to tell it. So now what do you do? Practice until it’s perfect! Right? Nope! Yes, of course, you should practice. I never tell stories unless I have practiced and feel well prepared. But the key is not to have a...
Pick a Story
The best tip on choosing a story to tell is to pick one that you like. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? But that’s the trick to telling a good story. Choose one that you like; that you can relate to, and has a special quality about it that is...
Is a Comedian a Storyteller?
Someone asked me if a stand-up comedian’s performance is storytelling. That was an easy question. The answer is…yes. And don’t most of us love those funny stories? We relate to the events happening in the story, laugh out loud, sneak peeks at each other when some of the situations...