Stories for all

Stories have been there for as many years as humans have been. Since the evolution of our race, storytelling was amongst the first forms of art. Infact looking at origin of any form of art; be it visual or performing arts it was to tell stories, stories of the past, present and depicting future. There is strong evidence of storytelling through all the ages, cave man drew pictures and symbols on the walls of the caves, the Australian Aboriginal people painted symbols on the walls of caves and used oral narrative, music, rock art and dance to tell stories and similar methods were used by other ancient civilizations as well. The art of storytelling evolved and with time we were able to tell them through drama, and further through inventions came in cinema and other digital modes.

All experiences one has, are in the past, it’s gone and will not be here again. It’s the memories that are left, which is merely a shadow of the past and when we put this shadow into words, we often relive the fading memory which becomes a story. In short experiences when narrate become stories, here some may be real and other could be an imagination triggered from an experience. Stories enhance imagination, developing creativity, develop logic and critical thinking and amuse emotional aspect of our life. Stories and storytelling has been an integral aspect of our lives always, yet in Schools our focus is limited on stories unlike the other disciplines.

Through the past, stories have been told using various mediums, yet when we tell stories to the young minds, there are certain aspects that need to be considered. The story that is selected should be age, gender, region specific, if you looking at persuasive results.  Here are some tips for effective storytelling:

Create an atmosphere by selecting a suitable place, the listeners should be seated comfortably in front of you and there should be minimal distractions during the sessions. Props could hold the interest of the little ones but overindulgence may sidetrack their attention. Keeping some of the aspects in mind Genesis has developed their story corner as part of the School library.

Focus on your voice, keep the enunciation clear and direct full of tone modulations as per the need of the age group. Use 'chatty' language but don't over-simplify, again depending on the age group.

Pause for brief interactions, to keep the young children keenly involved in the story. Build up to the climax and then take a longer pause to let the students first imagine the next bit.

Remember: short stories for little people; longer stories for older ones works well.