Oral story-telling is an excellent way of developing children's language skills. The eye-to-eye contact between story-teller and listener helps them to develop the ability to maintain attention to a speaker and to take turns in conversation when the story is later discussed. They learn how to use non-verbal communication such as facial expressions, gesture and body language. Hearing stories develops children's vocabulary: exposure to new words builds up a repertoire of vocabulary. This helps children become creative with words themselves as they use them in their own play and story-telling. Story-telling helps children become aware of the rhythms of language and how to use their voice expressively, particularly when stories are told well.
Through story-telling children are able to make connections with others' experiences and emotions. They are able to learn about their own and others' differing cultures, beliefs and backgrounds. Emotional and social development is supported as children explore issues such as conflict and emotional responses to situations. This enables story-telling to be a great forum for exploring ideas through sustained shared thinking.
Above all, oral story-telling is an opportunity to bring a story to life, to fire children's imagination and to make them active participants of the story. A story told well will allow children to enter a world that takes them beyond the here and now. As humans we tell stories everyday: updating friends on events and news; explaining what happened in a film; explaining how we did something; retelling experiences. These stories come naturally and we often need little reminding to tell them. To get started (direct link to material) try telling children about something that happened to you when you were a child or an interesting event that happened at the weekend. You will need to practise your story once you have made it up so that you can tell it from memory but there are many strategies to support you as a beginning story-teller.
Story-telling does not need any training and you do not need to be an actor to tell good stories. Start off by retelling a favourite story or a traditional tale you know well with the use of a puppet. Not only does this entice a child but it can help you hide behind the puppet!
Most traditional tales are good for oral story-telling as they are usually stories you already know well. They have the important elements of a good story: a plot, a setting, characters, repetitive phrases and a well developed structure (a beginning,middle and end). You will probably have props to help you tell the story in the setting. Props help keep the story visual, active and exciting (and they can help remind you of the story too).
Puppets do not need to be expensive. You can make your own from old toys or quite simply sticking a character's face onto a wooden spoon.
Props for the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Simply retell the story as you remember it, either using your puppet as one of the characters or to keep the children enticed. Bring out the props as they appear in the story; this can help children visualise any new words you use for labelling objects. Tell your story often on different occasions. Just like story books, children need to hear these stories repeated so that they can join in and learn them off by heart.
Don't forget to leave the props out after you have finished telling your story for the children to explore and have a go at story-telling.
A collection of objects for story-telling sessions.
