Danyah’s top tips for storytelling with children appeared in The Guardian on Monday 6th October 2014 to mark School Libraries Celebration Day
1. Storytelling is very important for our children today, they need it more than ever. Stories feed our sense of self, wonder, safety, respect. As children listen to stories it helps to develop their imaginations, their self esteem, team spirit. Storytelling aids literacy, lateral thinking and creativity, often leaving listener with a sense of well being.
2. Different stories are appropriate for different ages.There are many types of story, from fairy tales to fables, myths, legends and creation stories to biographical and spontaneous stories. Young children, up to 7yrs, benefit particularly from stories that unify, conclude in a safe, kind or happy way. Older ones like stories of good and evil; justice and fairness in battle, overcoming adversity; witches and warlocks, dragons, eagles and mythical creatures.
3. Our imaginations are like muscles that need exercise, just as our legs do after they have been broken. If we don’t exercise our legs we can’t walk, stories stretch and exercise our imaginations.
4. Children benefit from and love repetition. Useful in many ways repetition supports vocabulary; builds confidence; deeps our relationship to story and its metaphors and lessons. Consider telling the same story/poems/songs over and again, growing it from an interactive story to puppet show to drama etc. Or have the same characters enjoying different journeys and adventures during the year.
5. Fewer words are more powerful. Gestures work well, enabling children to join in and remember quickly and easily poems, songs and stories.
6. Singing uses a different part of the brain from speaking. Singing before a story can help children to enter the magical world of stories.
7. Action (barebones) moves the story forwards, this is what I call the red arrow. Description, the blue breath, helps to slow the pace down and creates the pictures
8. One of the best ways to become a confident storyteller is to become an observer. Take some time to sit still & observe nature. Out of this observation come many stories.
9. Stories are like meals, don’t give children too many main courses. Let them savour the words and language. Stories work deeply over time so don’t ask questions about the story immediately after it is told, this way they have a more profound impact on the child.
10. Really enjoy telling stories! The more you can see the pictures the more these images will be transmitted to the children. Have fun, be authentic, with your own story voice.
Finally, Danyah believes that we are all storytellers, storytelling beings, telling stories all day, everyday to each other. Everyone wants their story heard… have fun with your stories today!
Click here to read Danyah’s Top Storytelling Tips on The Guardian website