PARENTS AND TEACHERS
| “Storytelling is … not the same as reading a story aloud or reciting a piece from memory or acting out a drama-though it shares common characteristics with these arts. The storyteller looks into the eyes of the audience and together they compose the tale. The storyteller begins to see and re-create, through voice and gesture, a series of mental images; the audience, from the first moment of listening, squints, stares, smiles, leans forward or falls asleep, letting the teller know whether to slow down, speed up, elaborate, or just finish. Each listener, as well as each teller, actually composes a unique set of story images derived from meanings associated with words, gestures, and sounds.” -The National Council of Teachers of English in support of storytelling in the classroom |
Fourteen Good Reasons why Stories and Storytelling are Good for Your Child’s Development
1. Promotes self-esteem
2. Stimulates intellectual development
3. Provides tools to express and clarify emotions
4. Provides a moral education, teaching life lessons
5. Helps child become a goal seeker
6. Provides tools for problem solving
7. Helps child confront challenges courageously
8. Expands and enriches vocabulary
9. Exercises the imagination
10. Develops a longer attention span
11. Expands knowledge and understanding of other times, places and cultures
12. Stimulates discussion
13. Develops speaking and presentation skills
14. Makes learning fun
| “Worthwhile stories can introduce children to life. Stories can be like windows to the world and inner experience. Through stories, children begin to make decisions about what is important and how they should behave. Storytime can be an important part of our relationship with children, one of the tools we can use to guide them to maturity.” From Wonder to Wisdom: using stories to help children grow by Charles A. Smith, Ph.D. |