Story Telling for Story Time

What are stories and storytelling?

Stories are narratives people tell about experiences, events, personal or collective memories, or aspects of individual biographies. They may be shared orally, through the written word, or through other modes of communication. Storytelling is the practice of sharing narratives with self, others, or with researchers. 

Storytelling is a form of performance in which we use our imagination and intellect to understand others and ourselves. 

Vannini, A., & Vannini. (2009). Stories and storytelling. In S. W. Littlejohn, & K. A. Foss (Eds.), Encyclopedia of communication theory. Sage 

Reading and Storytelling for Children

Reading literature:

• helps extend a child's experience and knowledge of life; helps a child's personal growth - (one) discovers themselves in literature and therefore learns to understand more about themselves.

• helps children to learn to spell, and use their native language with more facility.

• allows us to experience all kinds of human possibilities, from crime to childbirth, without suffering the consequences of undergoing the experiences in real life; it is a game-playing activity in which we "try out" various possible solutions to life-issues and see how they might be worked out before having to tackle them in reality.

The Reading Circle:

There is a circle of cause and effect in the reading lives of children that which we want to set spinning that we hope continues into reading adulthood:

• Selection

• Reading

• Response

All reading begins with selection. Decisions for reading can be based on many factors, but selected reading can commence. Taking time to read is a vital factor is understanding and creating a response to reading.

Reading can be antisocial. Here is where storytelling can be valuable in helping children develop an interest in reading for additional learning and entertainment.

Reading and hearing stories can affect people in all kinds of ways. For now, all we need to note is that the most important response of all is that the one that comes from our having enjoyed a book or a story so much that we would want to experience that same pleasure again.