Add Storytelling to Family Time

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

Speak with your children about Different Professions: Being a Journalist

            I would like to encourage parents to speak with their children from a young age about different professions so that they can begin to think about what professions interest them.  This is all about planning for your children’s successful future.  As part of a series of blog posts, I will be discussing various professions to help parents begin the discussions.  Today, I am starting with being a journalist.

            What do journalists do?  They generally investigate, gather information, and write a story.  Some also present the story.   They can be a reporter, photojournalist, or editor. Some of the character traits associated with journalists are creative, energetic, confident, and expressive.

There is an excellent article online at pbs.org titled Every Child is a Journalist.  According to the authors, children are natural journalists because they are inquisitive and love to tell stories. 

            As part of their inquisitiveness, children are investigators.  They ask a lot of questions to find out more information and to understand things better.  It is just part of their nature.   For their creative storytelling, they like to take the information they have gathered and tell about it. 

            I know very well personally about children's storytelling.  My youngest son and his best friend attended the same elementary school and I often would pick them both up after school.   I remember hearing them talk and laugh in the back seat of the car as they discussed what had happened that day.    Sometimes, of course, they would exaggerate, but it was just in fun, and then they would break out laughing.  If they felt I should be told about an incident, they would include me in the storytelling.  I truly enjoyed those times!

            The article encourages parents to read stories to their children and to have them create stories too.   When your children tell you about events in their lives, try to get the details as this helps to develop their thinking and analyzing processes in their brains and make their stories come alive.   

For more information, please visit:

https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/journalist/

https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/every-child-is-a-journalist

Reading Fairytales from Around Our World Benefits Children in Many Ways

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"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."  Albert Einstein

Growing up, I loved reading fairy tales from countries all over the world.   Some were funny, others were serious.  They all had a moral or specific lesson to teach.  As an adult, I still love to read them.  They are much more than short stories about people who get into all sorts of predicaments.  Their teaching value is immeasurable.

In an internet article entitled “7 Reasons Why Fairy Tales are the Best Books for Kids”, the author describes the many benefits that children can reap from reading these tales:

1.    They teach that no situation is hopeless.

2.    They teach that hard work and practice are the foundations for success.

3.    They teach children to be willing to explore and be open to new things.

4.     They teach self-reliance.

5.    They teach children to be careful about whom they trust.  This is especially appropriate in today’s society.

6.    They teach critical thinking.

7.    They teach right from wrong.

There are many websites that provide readers with dozens of stories from around the world, such as fairytalesoftheworld.com and storynory.com.  Spend some time searching for the ones that you believe would be best for your children and enjoy reading them together.  Create special moments laughing and discussing the lesson in each tale. 

The entire article on the benefits of reading fairy tales can be found by clicking here.