The Art of Retelling Stories
Storytelling is an amazing and fun way to learn public speaking. It also is a great way to help your child with the presentation skills required in most school curriculums.
Children benefit from storytelling in many different ways.
“The Art of Retelling Stories”:
- Improves reading and writing skills
- Increases listening skills and comprehension
- Aids in creativity and planning
- Helps with learning and memorization skills
- Supports students in learning to manage emotions like fear and anxiety
- Increases self-esteem and confidence
The tradition of verbal storytelling is as old as time or really as old as verbal communication. Storytelling isn’t quite as simple as retelling a story, reading a book out loud, or acting it out. However, there are a few elements in common with each of those activities. Storytellers engage their audiences with their variety of story delivery skills. A good storyteller uses their voice with feeling, their body with movement, and gestures as an interpretation tool. Great storytellers make the story they’re sharing their own by adding their own ideas, style, flair, and personality. A storyteller brings the audience into the story by encouraging them to weave it into their hearts. This is not acting even though it may feel that way at first. Many of the best public speakers are actually storytellers who blend facts and learning opportunities into their speeches. These speakers can be easily identified because when you watch their speeches you’re moved emotionally and you feel a connection to the speaker’s story. They use their bodies to convey the message and they use a key phrase several times, they may even ask the audience to do or say something bringing the audience into the story.
In this class, we’ll uncover the wonderful tradition of storytelling, watch a few storytellers, craft our own stories based on a fairy tale/folklore from their culture and present it live in the class. Additionally, we will share how you can connect with the community by offering to give a special performance at a local senior center or library.
Each week of class we’ll uncover a layer to the storytelling process while creating our own stories.
