Storytelling has been around for hundreds of years and used by many cultures. I’m from the Caribbean and storytelling was incorporated into our way of life. I remember growing up while listening to adults tell wonderful, imaginative stories. Unfortunately, over the years, with the advance of the internet, storytelling has declined but there is a strong movement to bring it back. Just what is storytelling and why should we have it as a part of our family time?

The National Storytelling Network defines storytelling as “the interactive art of using words and actions to reveal the elements and images of a story while encouraging the listener’s imagination.” Some definitions include written stories, but for my blog post, I will focus on oral storytelling. Simply, storytelling is the art of telling a story that has an interesting plot and dynamic characters. While telling a story, gestures and laughter should be incorporated too.

According to the Child Development Institute, storytelling benefits children in many ways, such as:

Language skills – as a person tells a story, children learn by listening to the words and the inflections of speech.
Memory – children listen to and then remember these stories. Often, they tell them to other children or adults. When they begin writing their own stories, the stories they remember will have an impact on their stories.
New worlds – as children listen to stories, often from other cultures or of their ancestors, they learn about different people and times. Their imaginations expand.

What stories should you tell? The list is endless. Start with one that you have heard and then add on to it. Perhaps tell a story about one of your children when they were younger or of a grandparent. The stories can be true or embellished or imagined - it is totally up to you. The goal is to capture the imagination of your audience through your words and corresponding actions. With children, it is important to use a variety of aids to keep their attention, such as puppets, music and dance. And, of course, incorporate laughter as an essential part of your story!

To learn more, please visit these websites:

https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-activities/storytelling-for-children/#gs.wiwov1

https://storynet.org/what-is-storytelling/

https://www.scholastic.com/parents/school-success/learning-toolkit-blog/storytelling-children.html