After this module, learners will be able to
1. Prepare for storytime.
2. Narrate stories clearly and at an understandable pace.
3. Communicate the main moral or takeaway from a story.
4. Answer students' questions about a story.
5. Customize stories to fit classroom needs.
Telling stories can be a great way to engage younger students, usually in primary school, with class materials or develop their interest in language. When narrating these stories, it is important to clearly enunciate your words and speak at a reasonable pace so that students can understand you. Make sure to ask questions for understanding and engagement constantly.
Ex 1: a) Let's pause here, students. Why did the hare take a nap during the race?
b) Because it was confident it could beat the tortoise even after a nap!
Answering questions posed by students periodically is also a good way to promote engagement with the story and main themes.
Ex 2: a) Sir, I have a question.
b) What is it?
a) How come Violet Beauregarde still ate the gum even though Willy Wonka said not to?
b) She wanted to show off that she had the world record in chewing gum and couldn't control herself!
Make sure to summarize the general message or plot of the story at the end, so students have an opportunity to interpret the story and ask clarifying questions.
Practice: Find a partner. Take turns repeating exercises 1 and 2 out loud by substituting your personal information in for the underlined parts. Try asking different questions about different stories in each exercise.
For this dialogue, practice narrating both fables (A) and (B) to a partner. Remember to summarize the story and its moral at the end. Have your partner ask you questions about the story.
A) The Lion and the Mouse
A lion was once sleeping in the jungle. Suddenly, a mouse started excitedly running back and forth across the lion’s body. This disturbed the lion’s sleep, and he woke up angrily. He was just about to eat the mouse when the mouse pleaded with the lion to set him free. “I promise you, I will be of great help to you someday if you save me.” The lion, surprised by the mouse’s confidence, laughed and let him go.
One day, a few hunters came to the jungle and took the lion with them. They tied him up against a tree. The lion struggled to get out and started to whimper. By chance, the mouse walked past and noticed that the lion was in trouble. He quickly ran to the tree and gnawed on the ropes, setting the lion free. Both of them sped back home.
Moral of the Story: A small act of kindness can go a long way.
B) Count Wisely
One day, King Akbar asked a question to his court that left everyone in the courtroom puzzled. As they all tried to figure out the answer, Birbal walked in and asked what the matter was. They repeated the question to him.
The question was, “How many crows are there in the city?”
Birbal immediately smiled and went up to Akbar. He announced the answer; he said there were twenty-one thousand, five hundred and twenty-three crows in the city. When asked how he knew the answer, Birbal replied, “Ask your men to count the number of crows. If there are more, then the relatives of the crows must be visiting them from nearby cities. If there are fewer, then the crows from our city must be visiting their relatives who live outside the city.” Pleased with the answer, Akbar presented Birbal with a ruby and pearl chain.
Moral of the Story: Having an explanation for your answer is just as important as having an answer.
What was the takeaway from fable (A)?
What questions did your partner ask you about fable (A)?
What was the takeaway from fable (B)?
What questions did your partner ask you about fable (A)?
Ask your partner if you spoke slowly and clearly enough. Are there any ways you could improve your enunciation and voice projection?
When telling a story to a younger audience, which of the following should you NOT do:
A. Speak slowly
B. Enunciate all of your words
C. Mumble
D. Project your voice so you can be heard
E. Speak in monotone.
Correct answer: C and E. You should never mumble so that students cannot hear your words. Speaking in monotone will be boring and students will not be engaged. Practice telling stories with more emotion and varied vocal quality.
After this module, learners should feel more comfortable telling stories to young audiences and communicating a story's plot, theme, and significance. Students should practice narrating stories slowly, clearly, and loudly so that students can understand and ask questions at their own pace. Stories may not be relevant in every classroom but can be relevant in unexpected classrooms. Students can make up stories for school subjects that are not literature classes and think about how interesting stories can be integrated with course content to make learning more engaging.