Tell Me a Story Please! (Part 2)
Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear,
Things I would ask Him to tell me if He were here.
Scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea,
Stories of Jesus, tell them to me.
~ Tell Me the Stories of Jesus by Frederick A. Challinor
Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear,
Things I would ask Him to tell me if He were here.
Scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea,
Stories of Jesus, tell them to me.
~ Tell Me the Stories of Jesus by Frederick A. Challinor
Welcome to Part 2 of our discussion on storytelling! In Part 1, we talked about some basics a storyteller needs to know as well as a few guidelines to follow when creating your story. In this section, we will look at the important art of editing stories along with some helpful suggestions for telling stories to children.
Again, we have Marlene LeFever to thank for her suggestions from her book, Creative Teaching Methods. The following pattern for editing will help make your story effective for those listening ears:
1 – Begin by reading the story or section aloud. Time yourself.
Read the story out loud from beginning to end. How much time did it take? How many minutes do you have for your time with the kids? Figure out how much time needs to be cut.
2 – Look for sections you could delete.
For the limited time you have to tell your story, there are probably some parts that are not necessary. LeFever suggests starting the process by cutting whole paragraphs. She also says that paragraphs are more easily cut from the middle of a story because the beginning and the end are usually a vital part of understanding the story.
3 – Maintain the tone of the story.
As you make decisions to cut material, don’t lose the tone and the writer’s style that originally attracted you to the story. That tone, that essence is what needs to remain to hold the interest of your audience as well.
4 – Right before you cut a section, reread the last thing you will read aloud before the cut.
If you cut out a section, do the sections before and after it still flow together? Realize that you may need to add a bridge or transitional phrase to tie the edited story together.
5 – Practice your edited version.
After you have made your edits, read the story again and ask yourself: Is it still worth reading in class? Does it read smoothly with the edits you have made? Hopefully, with the edits you have made, you have cut the story down to the desired time limit. (p.195)
LeFever gives extensive examples of editing in her book which I would highly recommend you read if you truly want to learn the process of creatively teaching and telling stories.
Now, let’s consider a few tips I have found helpful in telling stories to children…
1 – Be brief.
Remember that, as a general rule, the attention span for young children is about one minute for every year. So, a four-year-old has a four minute attention span. Practically, that means that if your story is longer than four minutes, you have lost most four-year-olds.
2 – Use strong action verbs for your characters.
In order for the kids to ‘see’ the story happen in their imagination, choose your words carefully. Use descriptive words that convey action.
3 – Make use of the five senses.
Help the children see, feel, taste, touch and smell the story. Any time you can use one or more of the senses, better learning will take place on the part of the child.
4 – Use age-appropriate language.
Make sure the words you use are ones that this particular age group will understand. If you want to teach them a new word, be sure to explain the meaning of that word.
5 – Have the children participate.
Give them a phrase or an action to do when you point to them. Thread this through the whole story. This will help to keep their attention in anticipation of when their turn will be.
6 – Stay connected with your audience.
Make eye contact with each child if you can. When you are making an important point, get down on their eye-level, pause for a moment, and make your point. There are times when a whisper speaks louder than any other tone you might use.
7 – Use puppets or stage props.
Children of all ages can be captured by puppets or some type of stage prop. Just be sure not to overuse them. There are times when a puppet can say something difficult that you may not be able to say.
We never outgrow our love for stories. Young and old alike settle back comfortably to listen with expectation when they hear the words, ‘Once upon a time.’ And what better stories to retell than the ones God has given us in His Story, the Bible?
May we be better students of His Word so that we may retell His stories to the children He brings our way!
Note: This material was originally presented at DallasTheological Seminary by Dr. Jerry Lawrence in October 2010.
