What makes a good story teller?
I saw a fabulous story teller today who taught the children a lot about the Great Fire of London. He used a hat to ‘get into role’ and retold the events. The children were spellbound. He’d obviously done this a few times before!
What made his storytelling so good? Sometimes the best stories told are those we make up on the spot. You may think ‘I can’t do that’ but you can. Your child will love you telling them stories whether they are read or made up. Reading aloud gives your child so much as you are modelling different uses of voice and the speed with which you read to build tension. All of these things will help your child with their own reading and writing.
If you want to try telling stories for yourself begin with a really well known story such as a traditional tale – Goldilocks and the three bears USA great one to start with. Tell it in your own way and then begin to add in your own details and variations. You could vary the setting, characters or the tale itself. My boys love hearing these stories told slightly differently each time.
Next step is involve your children in the retelling. Perhaps you start the story and you can take turns to retell each section of the story. It’s great fun and really builds and develops a good bond between you and your child!
