storytelling tips
First of all, you need to choose a story.
Not just any story; A story that
can't wait to be told. This is
important because for three reasons:
- If you don't enjoy your story chances are
your audience
won't either
- A story you hate won't be fun to tell and
fun is the
operative word here.
- A story you like will be a lot easier to
remember.
Think about the type of audience
you will be telling to. You probably
won't tell the same story to a group of campers sitting around a fire
as you would to a three-year-old who is still afraid of the dark.
You can use a variety of sources in
choosing your tales to tell.
Picture books can easily be adapted for telling, as are folk
tales (which are great for a novice teller since they have a distinct
beginning, middle and end), you can even adapt a story of your own.
Remember to keep your audience in
mind when you are choosing a story.
Preschool age (2-5)
Young children really respond to
rhyme rhythm and repetition in stories
they hear. They also can't sit still very long, so be aware of story
length.
These active little ones might also like songs, rhymes,
finger plays and participation stories. Shorter fairy tales work well
with this age group, too
School age (6-8)
This age range can sit for a bit
longer and can appreciate stories that
have more involved plots and complex language. Riddles and jokes,
folk tales, fairy tales, tongue twisters, jump rope rhymes, myths and
legends would work well with this age group. Surprise endings are also
fun.
Cumulative tales which have
repetitive verses, trickster tales,
pourquoi tales (which unscientifically explain why things are the way
they are) and tall tales also work for this age range and the older end
of the preschool group .