Storytelling and Storyreading

Author(s): Gerald A. Chesin

Source: Peabody Journal of Education, Vol. 43, No. 4 (Jan., 1966), pp. 212-214
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1491022
Accessed: 29-09-2015 18:21 UTC

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 Storytelling and Storyreading
GERALD A. CHESIN
Slippery Rock State College
Pennsylvania

The writer thinks that it would be best to first answer the question,
what is storytelling? A number of the storytelling artists do not
associate storytelling with reading aloud. They feel that they are two
separate entities. Storytelling is usually referred to as the telling of
a story without the aid of the printed page, pictures, or any properties
which would break the magnetic flow between the listener and the teller.
The main difference between the telling and the reading of a story
is that the teller is free; the reader is bound. By this last statement
it is meant that the reader has to hold the book in his hand and follow
the printed page. The storyteller is bound by nothing; he stands or
sits, free to watch his audience, free to note their reactions to the
story, free to use the body, eyes, voice as aids in expression. For
these reasons, a story told is more spontaneous than one read, however
well read. For example, if the teacher notices that the children do
not understand certain words or phrases, she can pause in her story
and briefly explain the meaning and continue with the story. The
story that is read may have the above attributes, but not to the degree
that a well-told story will have.
Another difference between telling and reading a story is the personal
element that the teller adds to a story that is told. When you make a
story your own and tell it, the listener gets the story, plus your apprecia-
tion of it. There is a filtering of personality in telling a story. This
gives storytelling an intimacy or personal quality, which is especially
important to young children. Wanting to be a part of an experience is
a very natural thing. The teacher can meet the children's gaze naturally
and constantly, and the children will note this personal feeling that the
teacher radiates and will feel that they are a part of the experience.
It is felt that storytelling would be especially beneficial to the children
who are not ready to read or who have low reading ability. The
"hominess" an intimacy of the storytelling situation quickly attracts
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and holds those with low reading ability.
Heaven forbid that it is suggestedby the discussionthat we throw
out readingstoriesaloud to childrenas an educationaltool. The writer
is merelypointingout that storytellingis thoughtof as a separatething
from readingaloud, and that storytellingdoes have certainadvantages
over reading aloud. Reading stories to children is of major im-
portanceall throughthe elementarygrades, and both storytellingand
reading aloud are both very worthwhileas educationactivities.
Storytellingprovidesan excellent opportunityto develop children's
ability to listen attentively. Throughstorytellingthe teachercan build
up habits of courteousand close attentionwhen anotheris speaking,
whetherit be the teacheror a child.
Childrenshouldn'talways be the listenersin a storytellingsituation.
They should also have the opportunityto be the tellers. Most children
love to tell stories. Childrencreatestoriesfrom their own experiences;
they create from their imaginations. They like to join in stories that
have catchy refrains and to repeat details of familiar stories. Story-
telling providesa wonderfulopportunityfor childrento learnto express
themselves orally. They learn to share the mystery, the love, the
informationandthe enthusiasmof a tale withtheiraudience. Of course,
children may ramble on and on in telling a story or may select a
story that does not appeal to the rest of the children. It is the job of
the teacher, therefore, to tactfully help the child to realize that his
selection of a subject or a story to tell is important. He is just as
responsible for telling an interesting story as the audience is for
listening attentively.
The teacher should also keep in mind that storytellingcan be the
key opening the door to new fields of literature. Exposing the child
to an exciting adventurefrom literaturemay lead him to explore an
area of literaturewhich he may not have otherwisecome in contact
with.
The building of the child's vocabulary might be another skill
which could be developedthroughstorytelling. It may give the child
who hears much slovenly English at home the opportunityto hear
good words, artisticallypresented. Folktales are full of wise sayings
and colorful expressionswhich often become a part of the children's
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vocabulary. If a child understandsa word that is presented orally
to him, it is more easily recognizedwhen the child comes upon it in
print. For the child who has not yet begun to read, storytellingwould
not only build vocabularybut also could promote word recognition
and reading readiness.
Storytellingalso has an emotionaland a psychologicaleffect upon
children. Hearingthe right story or many just right stories has great
value. It may help children face some of the problemsthat confront
them. As they identify with characters,they may see themselvesand
their problemsmore clearly and perhapsmeet them more realistically
than they could before they knew these story characters.
Storytellingdefinitelyhas specificvalues as an educationalactivity.
It can help us attain many of our educationalgoals. It increasesthe
child's span of attention,developshis powerof concentration,improves
his listening habits, enlarges his vocabularyand interests, and con-
tributesto creativity. Storytellingcan be correlatedbeautifully with
almost any subject-art, music, creative dramatics, social studies,
to name only a few. When storytellingcan be used creativelyto con-
tributeto a unit, use it by all means,but the writerwould like to stress
that storytellingshould not be used always or only for the purpose
of teaching a specific thing. Storytelling is often more effective if
casually introducedinto the scheduleor used as a surprise on a dull
day.
The author has attemptedto distinguishbetween the art of story-
telling and the commonform of readingstories. Briefly,the difference
is one of degree, with storytelling having the advantage of being
more intimate,direct, and forceful. The storytelleris free to present
the tale as he knowsand loves it. As a teacherone will find that some
stories will be adaptable and lend themselves well to storytelling,
while others will be found to be presentedbetter by reading aloud.
Only experiencein the classroomsituationwill determinewhat method
is best followed in presentingthis type of subjectmatter.

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