Become a Grand Storyteller
Grandchildren love a story well told. Here's how to give them one.
by Ferida Wolff
Every family has an expert storyteller. When he or she gathers the children around and asks if they'd like to hear about, say, a fire-fighting elephant named Tiny, a hush comes over the room and even the adults pull their chairs closer.
Sandy Werier, 71, of Brooklyn, N.Y., is such a storyteller. He's had generations of his family hanging on his every word for years. What's his secret? "I use free association," he says. "Instead of planning a whole plot, I just let it flow. And I'm a little absurd. Kids love that."
"Tell Me a Story!"
"Families have entertained, taught, laughed and cried over stories for centuries," says Amy Goyer, senior vice president of Outreach for Grandparents.com. "Stories are a subtle way to pass traditions on from generation to generation — bypassing the boring lecture and incorporating humor and imagination in ways that engage younger listeners."
The best part is, your grandchildren want you to tell them stories. You can read a favorite picture book 12 times in a row to toddlers. You can make up fairy tales for preschoolers starring heroes that share their names. Or you can tell older grandkids about your first baseball game, job, or date for the school dance. No matter the topic, they'll listen. You've never had a better audience.
Stories connect kids to their ancestors, their culture, and to each other — and they help them understand their world. Whether stories are funny or serious, informative or just plain whimsical, both tellers and listeners benefit from the experience of sharing.
How can you become your family's most valuable storyteller? Kathleen Lindsey, a Clayton, N.J., storyteller and the author of the children's book Sweet Potato Pie (Lee & Low, 2003), offers these five tips for telling a magical tale.
1. Set Up Your Story
We're all familiar with "Once upon a time…," the classic start to a captivating yarn. Set up your own story by putting everyone into the mood for a great tale. "I always ask my audience if they'd like to hear a good story," says Lindsey, who often speaks at schools where, after an initial scream of "YES!" in response to her question, she has hundreds of children quiet and waiting to hear more.
2. Include Your Audience
Lindsey stresses the power of interacting with the audience. "I like to work my audience, and get everyone participating. It keeps their interest high," she says. "I ask a question to spark their curiosity about my story." Sometimes she'll invite a child to be part of the narrative, and help fill in the blanks. "They get excited!" she says. This energy helps her story come alive and she, in turn, gets more animated and puts more energy into the story.
3. Use All Your Senses
Lindsey finds that addressing each of the five senses is a potent way to capture a child's imagination. "I use different sounds, movements, flavors, smells, different voices, highs and lows, happy and sad," she says. The same advice applies when telling stories to adults: "You have to act out a good story!"
4. Make Storytelling Special
Stories are simple things. It can be hard for them to compete with technology — TV, the internet, iPods, Wiis. But stories offer something no technology can match: intimacy. Take advantage of the natural connection between storyteller and listener by making story time a special time. On rainy days, Lindsey says, she'd always turn off the television and tell stories to her children. Story time at bedtime, of course, can be a calming, bonding experience for kids and grandparents. Or maybe the storyteller in your home always sits in a special chair to signal that a tale is about to be told.
5. Have a Satisfying Ending
All stories come to an end, and count Lindsey in the camp that believes stories for children should end happily. "I don't believe in telling stories that will upset them," she says, "but stories should get them thinking." And when you're finished, ask the kids to tell you a story of their own.
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