Reflection on Storytelling Session

by farlynz (student)

University Degree Education and Teaching

Reflection
Storytelling has many key values for both the individual telling the story and the people listening to the story being told. Among the values that storytelling instills in its participants as stated by Margaret Read Macdonald, in The Storytellers Start-Up Book, is that it �hones our literary and imaginative skills. We improve our ability to listen, speak, imagine, compose phrases and create stories� (Pg. 101). Macdonald continues on in her book to say that storytelling broadens our awareness of our own as well as other cultures, allows us to understand ourselves better, gives us a sense of belonging to a group and increases our vocabularies. Jack McGuire lists the benefits in his book, Creative Storytelling, by stating, �The specific educational and social benefits to storytelling from a child�s point of view are numerous and well documented� (Pgs. 13-14). Some of the values McGuire touches upon are helping a child recognize patterns in language, stimulating a child�s powers of creativity, providing a child with problem solving and decision making activities, strengthening a child�s capacity to form objective, rational and practical applications, assisting a child to develop skills in dialogue and cooperative interpersonal behavior. It also familiarizes and introduces a child to symbols, and traditions of different cultural heritages shared among the people around them. There are tremendous gains to be made through storytelling as a strategy to increase the oral language of second language learners in particular.

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In order to become successful teaching a unit on storytelling I had to be comfortable telling stories and had to become a storyteller myself. After all you wouldn�t become a football coach if you didn�t know how to play football. There is no need to be nervous about this; there are many resources (as listed under my teacher references) available to help you become an effective storyteller.

To introduce the unit on storytelling I begin by becoming a storyteller myself and I tell the students an intriguing, exciting story. I make sure to model all the important components of ...

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To introduce the unit on storytelling I begin by becoming a storyteller myself and I tell the students an intriguing, exciting story. I make sure to model all the important components of a great storyteller that I expect to see from the students during this unit. To do this, first I choose a folktale that I love. The story I tell my students is The Three Billy Goats Gruff. I choose this folktale because it is one that I remember hearing and loving myself as a child. It has strong characters and a clear storyline that is easy to follow. Before I tell the story I make sure that I practice it a few times. This story is fun to tell because you can change your voice to fit and portray each character. Then, I give it my best effort and tell the story to my students as if I were a professional storyteller. It is exciting watching the students listen to my story and seeing their ears and eyes perk up with excitement as they listen.

After telling the students my story I introduce formal storytelling to them. I begin a discussion with the students and ask them a series of questions. I start out by asking them what storytelling is. In my own research I came across Esme Raji Codell�s website where she suggests a good way to tell your students about what storytelling is. She says, �I tell them that in Africa, there is a saying: Every man dies two deaths. The first, when his body dies. The second, when the last person remembers him dies. Stories, too, die when the last person who knows the story dies. So the trick is not only to know the story, but to make people remember the story, so it will live on and on.�

Bibliography for Teachers

Bierhorst, John. Latin American Folktales. New York: Pantheon Books, 2002.

*A collection of Hispano-American folk narratives, good for storytelling.

Codell, Esme Raji. �Storytelling!.� 1999-2006 18 May 2008 http://www.planetesme.com/storytelling.html#storytellingbibliography>.

*Gives the benefits of storytelling and also a sequence of lessons to use when teaching storytelling.

Crevola, Carmel, and Mark Vineis. Let�s Talk About It . New York, NY: MONDO Publishing, 2005.

*Oral language research and background information.

Ellis, Brian, and Stephanie McAndrews. �Storytelling Magic Enhancing Children S Oral Language Reading And Writing.� Fox Tales International. 2004. Reprinted From the Illinois Reading Council Journal. 6 Apr 2008 http://www.foxtalesint.com/Articles/StorytellingMagicEnhancingChildrenSOralLanguageReadingAndWriting>.

*Gives background and benefits of storytelling including its connection to education and oral language skills.

MacDonald, Margaret Read. The Storytellers Start-Up Book. Little Rock: August House, 1993.

*Includes techniques for learning and performing stories and ideas for incorporating storytelling into the classroom.

Maguire, Jack. Creative Storytelling. New York: McGraw Hill Book Company, 1985.

*Provides information on becoming a storyteller.

Maurano, Margaret. �Oral Language.� Exemplary Practices that Support Early Literacy. 2003. Bridgewater State College. 6 Apr 2008 http://www.bridgew.edu/Library/CAGS_Projects/MMAURANO/OralLanguage.htm>.

*Outlines the importance of oral language acquisition in the early grades and factors that support it.

McWilliams, Barry. The Art of Storytelling. 1997. 6 Apr 2008 http://www.eldrbarry.net/roos/art.htm>.

*Lists techniques and provides links to additional resources to use and research how to tell stories.

Mellon, Nancy. The Art of Storytelling. Rockport, MA: Element Books, Inc., 1992.

*A guide outlining the essentials of a good story through the use of visualization and imagination.

Mellon, Nancy. Storytelling with Children. Gloucestershire, UK: Hawthorn Press, 2000.

*How to become a confident storyteller.

Phelps, Ethel Johnston. Tatterhood and Other Tales. New York, NY: The Feminist Press, 1978.

*Folktales and legends where the central characters are successful females.

The Education Alliance at Brown University , �Oral Language.� Teaching Diverse Learners. 2206. Brown University. 6 Apr 2008 http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/elemlit/orallanguage-prt.shtml>.

*How to improve oral language of ESL learners

Yolen, Jane. Favorite Folktales from aound the World. New York: Pantheon Books, 1986.

*A collection of folktales.