Go On, Tell a Story!

By DAPHNE LEE

From Tots to Teens, StarMag

LAST weekend I held a reading-aloud workshop for volunteers who work with young children, and I thought I would highlight my main points from the session in today's column, as I think these tips are useful for anyone who spends time with children.

First of all, I'm going to take for granted that we all agree that reading aloud is desirable, and want to read aloud to children. The volunteers I met with wanted to know how to choose books for children and also the best way to read the books. Finally, we discussed what we should avoid when reading to kids, and what we should strive to do.

How to Choose Books
It's really quite obvious - choose an interesting story! However, make sure it's also an easy-to-follow story. This is especially important when dealing with very young children or those with a poor command of the language you're reading in, or who are not used to being read to and have a short attention span.

Look for books that have words or phrases that repeat. These "pull" the listener in by giving him something to expect and allowing him to participate in the story - you should encourage and invite him to say these words and phrases which repeat throughout the book.

We all love to laugh and so a funny story is always a hit.

Allow the children to choose their favourite book as a regular treat.

How to Tell a Story Well
You won't be able to read or tell a story with enthusiasm if you don't think it's interesting so choose only books that you love.

Always observe the children closely while you're reading - this will help you suss out whether you're going too fast or too slow; and whether they are puzzled over a word, phrase or plot development.

Get to know the stories before you read them aloud so that you can present the story with the best facial and vocal expressions, as well as hand gestures and even body mvements. You can also be prepared to abridge as necessary, adjust the pace of the story, and pick out parts which you'd like the children to participate in.

Try to relate the story to the children's life and experiences. Pause to allow for questions and ask some yourself to encourage active participation, and as a way to help you check if your listeners are still engaged.

If you know a story well and it's an action-packed one like We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, act it out instead of reading it. You can share the pictures at the end of the story ... once you've got your breath back!

Do's and Don't's
Do encourage questions and discussion. One way to do this is to never judge or criticise a child's opinion or questions. Even if he says something you deem inappropriate, try to find out what prompted the reaction. If necessary, take him aside (if you're telling the story to a group) and discuss things with him. When children come to realise that they can express themselves without fear of being reprimanded or ridiculed, they will do so more freely.

Do allow free interpretation of the story. We should accept what a child makes of a story and how it speaks to him. Even if we think his understanding is flawed, we should try to find out the reasons behind his interpretation instead of simply shooting it down. Don't ever react in a negative way to what a child says by scolding or showing a shocked expression. And don't say "This is what the story means". Instead ask, "What do you think the story means?"

Don't preach. Try not to use stories to teach children a lesson or make a point unless the message can be arrived at through discussion. Stories with morals, like Aesop's Fables are very popular but if I tell them I leave out the lessons at the end. This is because I feel they over-simplify matters and I believe that children should be encouraged to explore the many layers and complexities of life.

Next week I will list the books I think should be staples in every (porfessional and amateur) storyteller's kit!

Comments

[Flora]

Daphne,

I work in a public library and we are planning on going to KL soon for a book shopping spree. I would like lots of good children's books. My question to you is: where is the best place to go?

[Daphne]

Hi Sandra! Thanks for your comment.

It's really interesting too, when different children share their different ideas of what a story is about, or how they see different characters.

Dai Na: How are you? I have yet to even meet Duncan and now you have Zi Shing! Happy Reading to your boys :-)

Ficklefellow: Try BookXcess at Amcorp Mall. They sell remaindered books so you can get pictures books for super low prices!

[Sandra Stiles]

I enjoyed your post. When you talked about free interpretation of stories I am reminded of a time a fellow teacher and I had started a morning book club. As students read aloud their favorite parts and what they got from it etc. One of the kids looked at us and asked if that was right because he saw it a different way. We as teachers can read the same book and based on our background experiences, draw something different from it. We definately need to encourage kids to speak out about what they take away from a book.

[ficklefellow]

Hi Daphne, thanks for sharing! Michael Rosen's bear hunt is superb. His facial expressions were hilariously spot-on! I was really engaged with his storytelling.

Do you know where are good places in Klang Valley to borrow / purchase (affordable) children's storybooks for the use of story telling?

[Dai Na]

I like this piece of article that you wrote. its very useful and i hope to improve my storytelling skills. i have been reading to duncan and soon with zi shing. thank you for being so generous in sharing this bit of tip. looking forward to your article next weekend.