Storytelling must surely be one of the oldest forms of artistic expression in existence. Imagine the earliest humans huddling around the warmth of a fire, finding safety in the confined space of a cave and in each other’s company, recounting tales of their day’s adventures. The revolutionary development of cave paintings and language allowed our forbearers to communicate factual information that would enhance their ability to survive and would help them provide the food that would nourish their families. It also allowed their imaginations to soar, providing the food for thought that would nourish their souls, as well, and perhaps establishing humankind’s very first outlet for creativity and self-expression.

These ancient pioneers on the long journey towards civilization might have invented tales of personal bravado, tales of real or imagined ancestors, the very first collections of myths and legends, and the cautionary tales that would serve as lessons for young children and as guides for adults on proper human conduct. All of these stories would have advanced the group’s cohesiveness and provided respite from the dangers of daily life lived out in hostile environments.

Oral storytelling and the written word still serve much the same purposes today, although technology has provided us with larger audiences and with an ever-expanding arsenal of outlets for our urge to tell and to be told good stories. We are spoiled for choice, what with the easy availability of printed books, magazines, films, television, live theatre, puppetry, the Internet and more.

Yet, despite a panoply of print and electronic media, purely oral forms of storytelling do still exist and are in fact used every day by talented entertainers, by skillful teachers and librarians, and by loving moms and dads quietly sharing good books with their children at bedtime. The purpose of this article to suggest some variations on the concept of bedtime stories and to offer some additional ways that parents and others can both share precious moments and create some precious memories with their children.

1. While reading a picture book aloud, let your children take a good long look at each picture before you read that page’s text. Give them some time to analyze each illustration and discuss it. Coax your kids into trying to anticipate the events to come in the story. Encourage them to observe small details and speculate on their roles in the unfolding story. Take the time to appreciate the beauty, perhaps the delicacy, perhaps the humor of the illustrator’s artwork. Help your children develop a love of visual art and an eye for the variety of syles that may be used in picture book illustration.

2. When you read aloud, try to use your voice to enhance the drama of the story. Let your voice rise and fall to convey the natural rhythm of the text and to accentuate key passages. Modulate the loudness or softness of your voice. Try to change your pitch, rhythm or accent to bring characters’ voices to life, and don’t be afraid to include a few dramatic pauses at the appropriate moments. In other words, when you tell or read a bedtime story, give it your full attention and give it your all. Never be afraid of sounding silly. Your children are absorbing every new stimulus and are learning more than you’ll ever realize from each new story they’re exposed to, and from the very act of hearing language come alive.

3. If your children are beginning to learn how to read on their own, let them read to you for a part of the time. Perhaps you and your child can take turns, or your child can read a passage first and then you can repeat it, because children can understand the overall meaning better when they are not struggling to capture each word in isolation from the others on the page. Older children who have become more confident readers can be encouraged to read aloud to their younger brothers and sisters, making story time mutually beneficial for older and younger children alike. They all share in the experience of absorbing new vocabulary and enjoying the pleasing sounds of the words. They also thrill to the unfolding of the story’s plotline and sharpen their critical thinking skills as they judge whether the story’s characters are making good or bad decisions. In addition, the elder siblings are receiving valuable reading practice and gaining confidence in their abilities to read aloud and to speak in front of others. They are also learning to share family responsibilities and to take pride in the fact that they have something to contribute. Hopefully, sibling bonds are also strengthened, as the nature of this type of interaction is wholly positive, unlike some daily activities that involve competitive angling for parental attention or petty squabbling and tensions.

4. Follow up story sessions, either directly after the story or on the following day, by encouraging your kids to illustrate their favourite scenes from each story. This can range, for instance, from simple pencil and paper sketches, to colored pencil or marker drawings, or to elaborate watercolor paintings. It might involve sculpting story figures in aluminum foil or clay or any of a dozen three-dimensional techniques. Discuss such creations with your children and express an interest in everything they make. Let other people’s creations – the authors’ stories – become a springboard to tap into your children’s own creativity.

5. Have your kids close their eyes and describe a single scene or a setting from the story, See how much they can recall about such things as story events, illustrations of rooms or outdoor environments, and of where each object was placed in a scene. Then let them enrich it by adding extra details of their own making.

This is the end of part one.

Barbara Freedman-De Vito is a professional storyteller and artist. Her online company and website is Baby Bird Productions. Visit Draw and Tell Stories where you will find original draw and tell stories in several volumes of paperback books.

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Throughout time, the greatest orators and teachers have illuminated their lessons by telling powerful stories. Story-telling is a great way to engage your audience and show them how your topic, point or lesson relates to them specifically. Unfortunately, not everyone is born a great story-teller, and some stories are better than others. Follow these 7 steps to deliver great stories every time!

1. Know your audience and make sure your story is appropriate

When telling stories it is really important to know who you are telling them to and have an idea of how they might react to them. Age group, professional level and culture are extremely important factors; make sure your story is appropriate for your audience. Even when you are telling a “tried and true” story, what might be appropriate and funny for one group, could be distasteful and unacceptable for another. Take care when choosing the topic of your story and the language you use to deliver it.

2. Make your story easy to relate to

The topics of stories should be broad enough that anyone can relate to them. This tactic is also used in stand-up comedy. The funniest comedians take every-day situations that everyone experiences and make light of them. This is what a good story does. It has a plot that everyone can relate to, a subject that is simple, straight-forward and illustrative of the lesson. If you’ve chosen the right story and delivered it correctly, you will actually see the light bulbs going off above your listeners’ heads. If you have to say, “I guess you had to be there,” you have not told a clear and effective story!

3. Write out your story when presenting for the first time – and cut it in half

I have seen way too many speakers go on and on about things where I just want to stand up and yell, “Can you make this long story short?” When you plan to tell a story for the first time, write it out the way you want to present it – and then cut it in half. Remember the KISS philosophy: Keep it Short and Simple. Give us the nuts and bolts and nothing else. Sometimes story-tellers get wrapped up in the details, usually because they experienced the situation and find those details relevant. But usually the details of what you were wearing at the time and where you bought that outfit are not adding to the lesson or plot of the story.

4. Have a clear link between your story and your lesson

A story is only worth telling if it has an obvious link to the subject being taught. We all know from common conversation how annoying it is to listen to someone’s long-winded story just to wonder at the end of it why it was shared. Effective speakers have a very clear link between the moral of their stories and the topic at hand. If this link is missing, the story is useless, and your listeners are left wondering what it was for.

5. Engage your listener by engaging the senses

A good story-teller engages all of our senses. We might listen to you tell a funny story about ice cream, and that will be enjoyable, but what if you could make us taste that ice cream, feel its creamy consistency on our tongues, visualize the mess that’s made all over your face as a child, and so on. That’s what will make your story great and memorable.

6. Be aware of audience cues when telling your story

As a speaker you should always be aware of audience response. The attentive speaker will always know when the audience is losing interest and make appropriate changes to the delivery of the story, the language being used, the topic or even the final moral or punch-line. Different audiences won’t always react to the same story the same way. No matter how well you do your homework, you can still run into problems. Be flexible and have a back-up plan if your story isn’t going as well as planned.

7. Deliver your story with some feeling!

The key to an amazing story is in its delivery. A passionate story teller will get a much more enthusiastic response from the listeners than a boring one! Use variations in pitch, volume and intonation to make the story interesting to listen to. Be sure to pause at the right times for dramatic effect, and pull the audience in with mystique and excitement.

Heather Hansen, founder of Singapore-based Hansen Speech & Language Training, is an executive speech and language coach, writer and trainer. If you want to boost your linguistic abilities and become a powerful speaker, visit her website [http://www.hansenslt.com] now for free information on how to speak clearly, correctly and confidently! Join her mailing list to receive your free special report, Speak Clearly! and as a special bonus you’ll also receive her monthly newsletter, Speak like a Star!

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What did you do to celebrate Memorial Day this year? Invite friends over for a barbecue? Watch television? Take an extra nap?

There may be a deeper way to celebrate. One runs risk of losing a lot when the art of family story-telling is forgotten. Many of us have cherished memories of spending time with grandparents, listening to them talk about the “good old days”, or “simpler times”. When these treasured older adults are no longer with us, those stories serve as an essential link to a family’s heritage, as well as a wonderful way to remember great men and women. Think about this- a person who is eighty years old or older can likely remember the Great Depression, a host of major world conflicts, and the advent of many modern conveniences (plastic, television, commercial flight, microwave ovens, etc.) that have come about during their lifetimes.

Ways to honor the memory of loved ones (and those older family members still living) include conversation around the dinner table, using family stories as bedtime stories for children, and seeking older family members out to ask about funny or scary times they’ve experienced.

If you’re feeling ambitious, you might even begin to document some family stories in written form. Some authors use family anecdotes and events as content for their written work. Although this may seem rare at first, every family likely has “nuggets” like these, waiting to be discovered through the joy of family storytelling. Even though some may be hesitant to reminisce at first, in the end, most will share their wisdom if approached with genuine curiosity and respect.

Next time, before you fire up that grill or load up in the car for a long weekend, don’t forget to remember the stories and lives of those who came before us. Experience the joy of history relived- starting with your own family.

Chris Peters, M.S., is the author of two children’s books, “Race the Moon” and “Earnest Meets the Outlaw”. He is also the chief editor of Cottontail Publishing, a small press geared toward assisting first-time authors. His most current projects and activities may be found at the following website: http://cottontailpublishing.webs.com.

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Explore-A-Story

A unique and fun-filled event that celebrates books and reading for families of elementary school children in Greater Los Angeles.  It is an incredible day of authors and celebrity readers, performers, a Disney Family Film Festival, crafts, food, and a Barnes & Noble book fair with book signings – all inspired by great children’s stories.

The Wonder of Reading