Storytellers All Around (Blog Post #3 Reading Reflection)

Photo Description: Starting with the photo in the top left, 5th graders are participating in an Ellis Island role-playing experience in Social Studies. In the top right photo, students are practicing a reader’s theatre script. In the photo below, a first-grader reads aloud during snack time to her classmates. The photo in the bottom right is of Kindergarten storytime with hybrid class sizes and social distancing. And finally, the photo in the bottom left is of a Google meet with a mystery guest reader on St. Patrick’s Day. (photo credit: J. Walter, 2021)

Storytellers All Around

    While reading Chapter 10 in Greene and Del Negro, I couldn’t help but daydream about how storytelling could be a larger part of the curriculum in the school where I work. As an arts magnet school, we already have the fine arts focus including drama, dance, music, and visual arts,  However, none of the pictures featured above are part of those programs. These photos are documentation of teachers just doing their “thing” in the best way they know how - reaching their students and making it happen during a regular school day - and all of these photos illustrate some version of storytelling. Therefore, storytelling could be a vital part of any school’s curriculum and instruction. I was inspired to try to adapt A. Shimojima’s storytelling unit for fourth graders into my own instruction when I am a school librarian.  I appreciate the scope and sequence examples that are outlined in the text and feel that the structure will be beneficial when I try to create my own lessons.  

Call in the Experts (Local Resources)

Although I feel I am learning a great deal about the art of storytelling, and I am putting what I have learned into practice; I do not consider myself a storyteller as of yet.  Therefore, I  wanted to research local resources in the upstate of South Carolina that could supplement my experience and possibly be a resource for our school. Here is what I’ve found:

South Carolina Storytelling Network

Stone Soup Storytelling Institute

South Carolina Children's Theatre

Genre Spotlight: Tall Tales 

    According to Greene & DelNegro, the exaggerated humor of the tall tale is appreciated by older children (p 64). With this assessment, I would tend to agree as I see many of our oldest elementary students that are fans of the exaggerated and absurd storylines of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dog Man series. Could these students be turned onto traditional tales if the stories were featured in book talks and utilized in classroom instruction?  Could students be inspired to write their own tall tales after being introduced to the classic American Tall Tales and making connections to the series they already enjoy?   If so, then in turn students could share their stories in a storytelling festival. This week's readings have inspired numerous lesson and unit ideas for the future.   

This Week's Stories: 

Hoberman, M. A. (2019). You read to me, I’ll read to you: Very short tall tales to read together. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.   

McKissack, P. (2017). Lets’ clap, jump, sing & shout; Dance, spin & turn it out!: Games, songs, and stories from an African American childhood. Schwartz & Wade. 

Nolen, J. (2007). Thunder Rose. HMH Books for Young Readers. 

Osborne, M. P. (1991). American Tall Tales. Knopf Books for Young Readers.


One last story…

I enjoy following StoryCorp on social media - and especially enjoy their animated shorts. This particular storytelling seems appropriate to share with my fellow MLIS classmates.


Resources 

Greene, E. & Del Negro, J. M. (2010). Storytelling: Art and technique (4th ed.). Libraries Unlimited.

All images were obtained via Amazon.com unless credited separately.

 

Comments

  1. Jayme DunnOctober 10, 2021 at 6:38 PM

    Hi Jennifer!

    I also wish that storytimes could be a larger part of the curriculum, especially as kids get older. I feel like they lose out on those experiences just because of growing up when it could still benefit them. I also found your resources very helpful - I had no idea that we had a network for local storytellers and how to get in touch with them! I'll definitely be sharing this with our children's librarian tomorrow. Thank you for sharing!

    -Jayme Dunn

    ReplyDelete

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