More on Starting a Storytelling Troupe
After breaking the ice and getting acquainted, we were ready to roll. Ice breakers are probably only needed the first two or three sessions (or as often as you feel needed). When we met the first few times, I would tell a story first, and then we would discuss the story. The following is a list of some of the kinds of questions that children enjoyed discussing. Notice that the questions ask about the story, but focus on the telling as well.
Did you like the story?
What was your favorite part? Why?
What kind of a story was it?
What did I do as the teller?
What were the beginning, middle, and end?
What were you thinking during the story? Did you make any predictions?
Did you “see” anything?
What was my voice like? How did I use my voice?
How about what I did with my body? Did you notice anything? Did I stand, sit, move? Use my arms? (Be careful with body movements, the teller is not the show…the story is!)
Can you relate to the story?
Did you like or not like any of the characters? Or parts of the story?
What did you think of the ending?
Were you surprised at any point during the story?
Telling stories to the troupe is extremely important because the teller needs to model good storytelling. Just think about it, do you know a person whose stories you love to listen to? Why is that? Is the telling so enjoyable that you would listen to the story again?
Why do we like a good joke? Sure, the punch line is fun, but how is the joke told? Does the teller remember the sequence? Use his or her voice to maximize the fun of telling the joke? Remember the punch line? Tell the joke as though it’s a real story and use his or her own words?
Guess what? Telling a joke is storytelling. And when you teach children to be storytellers, you need to model, then teach them tips and techniques.
Look for tips and techniques in my upcoming “The Five Ps of Storytelling” blogs.