7 Storytelling Styles That Kids Enjoy ...

By Cris

Working with children taught me to employ different storytelling styles that will keep them interested until the session ends. As a storyteller, there's a need to invent new strategies to make you appealing to a young audience. Here are seven storytelling styles from various sessions I organized that have proven to be effective in keeping those little angels listening.

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1

Role Playing

This is the most attention grabbing of all storytelling styles. Role playing puts the reader in the shoes of the story's characters making the children visualize the people in the books in the flesh. Jaws dropping and endless giggles are the common reactions I noted every time this style was employed.

2

Storygami

You need to be good at paper folding when you do this one. My origami skills are terrible so I normally have my brother do this. I tell the story while he does paper folding to the delight of the children. They find joy in seeing a piece of paper transform into animals and plants. The wonderful thing about it? They can do it themselves too. Just make sure your patterns are simple and can easily be followed.

3

Storytelling Apron

The storyteller wears an apron and as the story progresses, he or she mounts characters or objects from the story on her apron. It's like having a mobile board! This involves mastery though because if you do this without practice, there is a 95% chance you will lose your audience's (already) limited attention span. So practice and make sure that those character dolls are available when you pull them out of your pocket.

4

Draw and Tell

This is another storytelling style I am completely incapable of doing. I have a number of storyteller friends who can roll this out using the power of their pens and crayons. This style involves telling a story while drawing something. It builds up emotions within the listeners and makes them excited about what's going to be the finished artwork after the story.

5

Cut and Tell

This is another storytelling style that involves practice. In fact, a lot of practice! Cut and tell is the minimalist way of telling a story because all you need is a sheet of paper and a pair of scissors. The dynamics? You tell the story while cutting something that is expected to be a magnificent "cutwork" at the end of the story. Yes, it's so much like Draw and Tell except that you are using different materials.

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Albert Schweitzer
6

Read along

This one is for children who can read. The most common storytelling style that majority of us have been exposed to is reading aloud, where the storyteller holds a book and reads from it. Reading aloud is a passive storytelling style because the children only listen. Read along is an active style because children actually reads with you. In an audience of 20 to 30 children, the story's texts and photos can be projected on a screen for the children to read along with you.

7

Storytelling Bag

Ah, the element of surprise in the storytelling bag! This is my favorite style because all you need to do is place your props inside the bag. You take out something from the bag as you tell the story. This requires another round of careful practice to make sure that the object you pick and show to the children is related to what you are telling them.

Another important consideration in telling stories to children is the age group. Take note of their ages so you know which books to read them and what storytelling style to employ. Above all, be sure to have fun! Children know it when you are sincere or just faking. Do you know any storytelling style that children enjoy?

Feedback Junction

Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

Love! I'm a children's pastor, and I'm always looking for good ways to get the lesson across to my kids, especially the preschoolers!

Loved your storytelling ideas! I bought a storytelling toy at my local Wallgreen drugstore....it's in a pouch and has about 12 dice in it. There are pics on all sides instead of numbers. I work with students with language based learning disabilities and although a bit abstract for them, they love.

Lovely idea! A joy of telling and listening

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