LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS

TOPIC 6

THE CRAFT OF STORYTELLING

6.0 SYNOPSIS This topic discusses some of the art and techniques that you should employ when telling stories to young learners. They include voice projection, diction, poise, gesture, facial expression, body movement, time, intonation and props. 6.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session, you will be able to: understand more about the various arts and techniques involved in storytelling; enhance their story telling skills by trying out various techniques of telling stories through activities and lesson notes provided. create a checklist of criteria for evaluating story telling.

6.2 FRAMEWORK OF TOPICS THE CRAFT OF STORYTELLING

Voice projection

Gestures

Time

Diction

Facial expressions

Intonation

Poise

Body movements

Props

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS The world is shaped by two things stories told and the memories they leave behind. Vera Nazarian, Dreams of the Compass Rose 6.3 Introduction Storytelling is an activity that goes back to something very old and precious in human culture. The process of retelling a story through the spoken word for a specific audience presents a special opportunity for the storyteller and the audience to engage in imaginative, active listening and participation. Children especially love stories told with or without a book. The younger they are, the more keen they are to respond to stories ready to echo the sounds and gestures that you make; mimicking your facial expressions and eager to share their own experiences. These are some of the responses that you should aim to get when you tell your young learners stories. As you learn and understand more about the arts and crafts of storytelling, you will become more aware that your young learners are not only listening to your stories but even speaking and thinking in an engaged, spontaneous and creative way. There are many ways of telling a story especially to young learners. A storyteller must be ready to improvise in a creative way to accommodate all the different variables of a storytelling event such as the mood of the storyteller; the number, age and social composition of your young learners; the setting, temperature and acoustics of the room or venue; the time of the day, etc. Thus an effective storyteller must engage and manipulate certain crafts and techniques (namely voice projection, diction, poise, gesture, facial expression, body movement, time, intonation and props) to get the desired outcomes.

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS 6.2.1 Voice projection. Storytelling has all the benefits of read aloud. It improves language skills such as vocabulary, prediction, sequencing, comprehension, story structure and recall. The difference between read aloud and storytelling is that the act of storytelling is always active and inventive. One of the key elements of storytelling is the voice of the storyteller: the ability to project his/her voice and the use of different voice intonations according to the characters in the stories told. So how well can you project your voice? Is there anything we could do to improve our voice projection? The following are some tips on how to project your voice as well as some simple activities that you could try out to improve your voice projection. a. Align your body correctly. Good posture and body alignment will determine if you have a small voice or a big (well projected) voice. To do this you need to: relax stand tall and stand straight do not bend forward; do not bend your neck by looking downwards. Activity 1 Pair work: Student A & B Student A to take a position in front of the class. Student B to take a position at the back of the class. Student A will first try to project his/her voice to Student B based on the instructions below. Student B will give oral feedback to Student A whether he/she can hear Student A well or not after each try. Instructions for Student A : Try saying aaaaaaaa... while sitting down and with your neck bent downwards. Try saying aaaaaaaa... while standing up BUT with your neck bent downwards. Try saying aaaaaaaa... while standing up AND slowly lift your head untill you can comfortably see Student B. Now change roles. At the end of the exercise, ask yourselves if there was a difference in voice projection at every try? 54

LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS

b. Check your breathing. If you are only able to take small breaths, you are likely to produce a small sound but if you are able to take some big breaths, then it is very likely that you will be able to produce a big sound. Basically, you need to make sure that you use a proper breathing technique.

To do this you need to: place on hand on your belly (below the ribcage, over your belly button) and one hand on your back. breathe in slowly, and feel the gap between your hands get wider as your belly moves outward. take a few deep breaths in and out and feel the hand on your belly moving out and in as you do so. now place your hands, with fingertips touching, across your belly, just below the ribcage. Breathe in and feel your belly move out, then breathe out making a hard, quick Huh sound you should feel your belly contract as the sound comes out. repeat several times. practice this abdominal breathing regularly so that it becomes normal and natural (in the car, watching TV anywhere). Then try making different sounds. Hear how much stronger and clearer the voice is, and how much more it projects when you breathe abdominally.

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS

Activity 2
Pair work: Student A & B (same sex) 1. Student A to place one hand on his chest or sternum and the other over his belly button. (Note: This fully engages the diaphragm, allowing more air to enter and exit the lungs.) 2. Breathe in and feel your belly move out, then breathe out making a hard, quick Huh sound. (Note: You should feel your belly contract as the sound comes out.) 3. Once Student A has a feel for diaphragmatic breathing, Student B now places a hand on Student As belly and chest as Student A continues taking deep breaths. (Note: This allows Student A & B to see both how breathing affects the body, as well as how it looks when one is breathing properly.) 4. Now change roles and try making different sounds when you reach the 3rd step.. Discuss: How much stronger and clearer is your voice? How much more can you project it when you breathe abdominally?

c.

Make sure that your voice resonates well. Your voice originates at your vocal cords and then resonates through your chest, throat, and head as it comes out of your mouth. When people have a cold and their sinuses are blocked, their voice doesnt resonate well and they sound odd.

To improve your vocal tone, you need to "open up" the chest, throat, and head cavities to allow the voice to resonate. Lets practice by doing the following exercise. Activity 3 On your own: Step 1: Hold your nose and say with as much force as possible: Many mighty men making much money in the moonshine.

Step 2: Immediately let go of your nose and say the same phrase.

Do you sound the same in Step 1 and Step 2? (Note: You should hear the difference in the force of your vocal sound. Try again if you didnt.)

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS Do you know that by humming, we could improve resonance? Lets practice by doing the following exercise.

Activity 4

On your own:

Step 1: Hum at a comfortable pitch, then move the pitch slightly lower and pay attention to how your chest feels. Continue humming until you can feel the vibration in your chest try to increase the vibration in your chest.

Step 2: Now hum while moving the pitch slightly higher and pay attention to how your head feels. Let your mouth open gently. Hum until you feel the vibration in your tongue and lips, behind and above your mouth.

Step 3: Continue humming. Make an attempt to increase the vibrations in your mouth, tongue and lips.

Step 4: Finally, return to your chest again.

Step 5: Repeat the whole exercise, but always ensure you end with your chest in order to develop a full, luscious sound.

(Note: Remember to breathe frequently, and stop if you get light headed.)

d. Expand the shape of your mouth. This is simply because if you have a small mouth, you will produce a small sound. However, if you relax and open your mouth wide, you will end up producing a big and clear sound.

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Activity 5 On your own, make the sounds in the diagram below. Step 1: Produce the sounds as you would normally would. Step 2: Produce the sounds by exaggerating or expanding the shape of your mouth. Notice the differences in the sounds that you produced.

Now try Activity 6. Activity 6 Step 1: Say out loud, but slowly, the word COW COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW Step 2: Say out loud, but slowly, the word CLAW CLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW Note: The word claw actually help you shape the sound that you make without the interference of your tongue.

Lets reflect on your experience so far. How do you feel after doing the exercises 1-6? To what extend to you think these exercises help you project your voice? Share your thoughts with a friend who did the same exercises.

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS 6.2.2 Diction

Well, if storytelling is important, then your narrative ability, or your ability to put into words or use what someone else has put into words effectively, is important too. Howard Gardner As a storyteller, you would need to ensure you stay connected with your audience. Apart from projecting your voice so that all can hear, you would also ensure that you use appropriate diction where words are enunciated (from the term enunciation) carefully and that you use your voice effectively. Stories, when told, also should not be told too fast or too slow. Enunciation means the formation of words, including right vocal shape to the vowels and right form to the consonants into finished speech. As a storyteller, you are expected to enunciate carefully and use your voice effectively so that the flavour of the story could be brought out: i.e., humorous story, scary story, tall tale; and show when the characters are said, happy, frightened, sleepy, etc. To do this you need to practice pronouncing names or words repeatedly until you are at ease with them. be more aware of the common errors of enunciation such as sputtering, hissing, biting, snapping, of consonants is not enunciation. minimise vocal faults by checking and ensuring that you use the right formation of tone, that is, the vowel. The reason for this is that when the vowel tone is rightly produced, all the vocal muscles are freed; the tongue, lips, and jaw act without constraint. learn the fundamentals of singing, and articulation, the formation of consonants, the joining of syllables. remember that good diction is NOT about changing your accent or making you 'talk posh'. It is about clarity - making sure what you say is heard. start slowly and carefully and avoid running the words together. especially if you are a beginner make sure the start and end of each word is crisp.

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS Lets see if you are able to apply some of the tips given above. Activity 7 Try repeating the phrases below, slowly at first, then gradually getting faster and faster while maintaining clarity. If you trip over the words, stop, take a deep breath and start again. a) Red leather, yellow leather... b) Red lorry, yellow lorry... Get a friend to listen to you when you do this exercise. Invite your friend to comment whether you were able to enunciate and use your voice effectively or not.

When telling stories in English, some people forget to enunciate the s words properly. Do you have this problem too? Do not worry if you do. You can overcome this problem with a bit of practice. Study and try out Activity 2 to get some ideas. Activity 8 If you have problems with 'S' words, practice by repeating the phrases below. Do not rush. Say them slowly at first, then gradually getting faster and faster while maintaining clarity. Remember, if you trip over the words, stop, take a deep breath and start again. o o Sister Susie sat on the sea shore sewing shirts for sailors Moses supposes his toeses are roses, But Moses supposes erroneously, For nobody's toeses are posies of roses As Moses supposes his toeses to be.

Lets reflect on your experience so far. How do you feel after doing Activities 1 and 2? Do you have problems with certain vowel or consonant sounds? Think of similar exercises that could help you improve on your diction.

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS Diction Exercises Check out the following website for some exercises on diction to help you speak clearly. http://imprinttrainingcenter.wordpress.com/2012/04/08/dictionexercises/

6.2.3

Poise

The general definition of poise is: a dignified, self-confident manner or bearing; composure; self-possession.

We know that the moment a storyteller takes a position in front of his/her audience, all eyes would be on him/her. Some people may enjoy being in the so-called limelight but to some, being in front of a group of people, even children, could be a very nerve raking experience. In other words, the experience of being in front of an audience can make a storyteller nervous. All eyes will be on the storyteller: looking at his/her face and body; clothes and make-up; and the way he/she stands, sits or walks. Activity 9 From your own experience, how can you tell that a person is nervous when being in front of an audience? Jot down your thoughts below: _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Share your answers with the person seated next to you. If your list includes any nervous habits, then you are right. Examples of nervous habits are playing with hair and shuffling of the feet. If your list includes behaviours that indicate lack of self-confident such as not making eye contact and looking very tense, then you are also right.

A storyteller therefore must remain poised: relaxed while presenting a story; look and sound confident; be in control and making eye contacts with his/her listeners.

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Lets reflect on your experience so far. Was there ever a time when you had to talk or give a presentation, you felt nervous and lack self confidence? How did you overcome those feelings? Get ready to share your strategies in class.

6.2.4

Gestures Gesture serves as both a tool for communication for listeners, and a tool for thinking for speakers. Goldin-Meadow (1999, 419)

A gesture is a form of non-verbal communication in which visible bodily actions communicate particular messages, either in place of speech or together and in parallel with spoken words. Gestures include movement of the hands, face, or other parts of the body. When telling a story using gestures, the storyteller is in fact helping his/her listeners understand the story better by giving away clues through the use of his/her body language. It is therefore quite important for a storyteller to understand his/her own body language or gestures and when to use or deploy them when telling a story. Effective use of gesture and body language allows the storyteller some control over the story, the audience and how they respond during the storytelling presentation.

Activity 10 a Based on your own experience, interpret the gestures or body language in the scenarios given. Scenario A man talking with his hands in his pockets? A teacher folds his arms across his chests? A man stroking his chin while thinking. A lady shifting from one foot to the other. Meaning of gestures / body language e.g. showing confidence 1. 2. 3.

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Activity 10 b Create a simple (probably common) scenario to reflect the meaning of the gestures below Meaning of gestures / Scenario body language 1. Showing anger 2. Sleepy / extremely tired 3. Showing impatience Get ready to demonstrate the gestures through the scenarios given.

Is there a way where we could learn to use body language effectively when we tell stories to our young learners? The answer is Yes. Here are some suggestions on how to teach yourselves good body language:

Work in front of a full length dress mirror; If you can video yourself telling a story, do so. Playing it back will give your important feedback. Go for mastery over one habit you want to modify or get rid of at a time rather than trying to banish the lot at once. Remember regular smaller practices are more effective than one or two intense longer workouts. Practice what you can throughout the day. You do not need to wait until you are at home to practice standing well, or relaxing your shoulders. You can teach yourself body language anywhere.

Keep your gestures clear and appropriate. Avoid the use a flurry of gestures that bears no real relationship to the subject matter of our speech. This type of gesture can easily become a distraction.

Types of gesture There are many types of gestures. The most basic and well known are iconics, metaphorics, deictics and beats. According to McNeill (1992) these types of gestures tend to occur only 63

LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS during speaking. They are referred to as speech-associated gestures as many researchers have found them to have distinct roles in aiding further understanding of speech or concepts. Other types of gestures that we shall also briefly look at include emblems, regulators, affect displays and facial expressions. a) Iconic gestures Iconic gestures or illustrators are closely related to speech, illustrating what is being said, painting with the hands, for example when a person illustrates a physical item by using the hands to show how big or small it is. Iconic gestures are different from other gestures in that they are used to show physical, concrete items. Iconic gestures are useful as they add detail to the mental image that the person is trying convey. They also show the first person or second person viewpoint that the person is taking.

b) Metaphoric gestures When using metaphoric gestures, a concept is being explained. Gestures are in three-dimensional space and are used to shape and idea being explained, either with specific shapes such as finger pinches and physical shaping, or more general waving of hands that symbolizes the complexity of what is being explained. c) Deictics gestures Deictics gestures indicate a point in space. They accompany reference to persons, places and other spatializeable discourse entities. An example is pointing to the ground while saying "Do you have an account at Mellon or at THIS bank?' . d) Beats Beats are small formless waves of the hand that occur with heavily emphasized words, occasions of turning over the floor to another speaker, and other kinds of special linguistic work. An example is waving one's left hand briefly up and down along with the stressed words in the phrase "Go AHEAD."

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS e) Emblems Emblems are specific gestures with specific meaning that are consciously used and consciously understood. They are used as substitutes for words and are close to sign language than everyday body language. For example, holding up the hand with all fingers closed in except the index and second finger, which are spread apart, can mean 'V for victory' or 'peace' (if the palm is away from the body) or a rather rude dismissal if the palm is towards the body.

f) Regulators Regulators are used to control turn-taking in conversation. An example: the way that as a person completes what he/she is saying, he/she may drop the arms, whilst a person wanting to speak may raise an arm as if to grasp the way forward.

g) Affect displays Gestures can also be used to display emotion, from tightening of a fist to the many forms of self-touching and holding the self. Covering or rubbing eyes, ears or mouth can say 'I do not want to see/hear/say this'. Holding hands or the whole body can indicate anxiety as the person literally holds themselves. Self-preening can show a desire to be liked and can indicate desire of another. h) Facial expression A facial expression is one or more motions or positions of the muscles in the skin. These movements convey the emotional state of the individual to observers. Facial expressions are a form of nonverbal communication. They are a primary means of conveying social information among humans, but also occur in most other mammals and some other animal species.

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS

The importance of facial expression in storytelling Activity 11 Pairwork: Read and reflect the statements below. Then discuss the questions that follow. The ability to recognise facial expressions at the age of 5 has been found to predict later social and academic competence. Ralph Adolphs (2002). The face is the primary canvas used to express distinct emotions nonverbally...the ability to read facial expressions is particularly vital, and thus a crucial component of emotional intelligence. Elfenbein, Marsh & Ambady (2002) Questions: a) What do they imply? b) Do you agree with the statements? Why? c) Based on your own experience as a teacher / presenter / storyteller, list a few benefits of using facial expressions in when telling stories to young learners. Get ready to present your answers orally in class.

It is a well known fact that children love to mirror adults behaviour. For teachers like you and me, we could use this to our advantage by incorporating technique of using facial expressions and behaviour in storytelling. Facial expressions used in storytelling can convey a persons (namely the characters in the story) emotions. Without facial expressions, our story becomes boring, limp and loses its magical attractions. Effective use of facial

expressions can help communicate the complexity of feelings to our young learners. They in turn might refer to the expressions and gestures that we use during the storytelling session as a point of reference to help them cope and adapt to people and society around them.

Type of expressions Storytellers must equip themselves with some skills of expression various emotions. The different expressions employed can have a significant impact to your story and the young learners. For example, if when you tell fantastic and magical stories whilst your face shows 66

LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS no emotion, no expression of wonderment, you can expect your young listeners to look bored and disconnected to you and the story. In this instant, as a storyteller, your face should show wonderment and joy convincing them that the story is fun and wonderful. Here are some common facial expressions that you could use when telling stories: iiii ii i iv

vi v

vi

Activity 12 (Pairwork) Study the expressions above. 1. Would you help interpret the expression for iv? Get ready to explain and justify your answer to your partner. 2. Take turns to show each other the expressions above try to be as convincing as possible.

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS 6.2.5 Body movement

Body movement is an important part of successful communication; it reinforces, emphasizes, and clarifies verbally expressed ideas. Because body movement is so easily adaptable for communicating, skilled pantomimic actors can tell complicated stories involving many characters through physical movement alone. However, your actions while telling stories must reinforce your story rather than contradict your words. It is important that as a storyteller, you need to make sure the image you present and your body movements strengthen your communication to your listeners.

Activity 13 (Pairwork) Lets check how much you know and understand about body movement. Evaluate the statements with your partner: are they TRUE or FALSE? ABOUT MOVEMENT 1 Movement is the motion of the whole body as you travel about the classroom. 2 Movement attracts the attention of the listener because the eye instinctively follows moving objects and focuses on them 3 Movement can help you convey thoughts to your audience. 4 To make an audience believe you are walking through a forest you really have to see, hear and smell the forest in you own imagination. 5 If you do your eyes and your whole body will convey that forestry feeling. TRUE or FALSE

6.2.6

Time

The aspect of time management in storytelling is one of the important aspects that must be taken seriously by a storyteller. Assuming you are the storyteller, there are a few questions that you need to consider: How long is does it take to tell a story that I have chosen? How long does it take to prepare for the storytelling performance?

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS A storyteller must realise the importance of time and timing. It can be your best friend if you plan well but if you do not consider the aspect of time, it can ruin your performance and as a result, it takes away the joy of storytelling for you and your audience. You might end up disappointing your keen audience or listeners.

Here are a few things you need to consider before you engage in any storytelling performance: a) Be punctual. It is very important that you are always on time or even better -early for a performance. Even if your stories are perfect for the age group to whom you will be telling, you must know when you will be telling and the time allotted for your performance. This will help you prepare yourself, the props and the setting for your performance. b) Understand the purpose of the storytelling performance. Ask yourself why you invited to tell stories? If it is for a party, for example, then it would be wise not to share your stories at the beginning of the programme. Instead schedule it at the end to avoid being interrupted by the continual disruption caused by latecomers. So you need to understand the purpose of your storytelling performance so that you can schedule it at the right time to get the maximum impact of your storytelling.

c) Know when to stop. When planning the length of your storytelling session or performance, pay attention to the kinds of audience you will perform to. Short active sessions of not more that 30 minutes with lots of rhymes are best for very young children. Telling stories in the morning might also better for this group when they are still fresh and eager. Older children should be able to manage longer session but only if they are engaged and enjoying themselves. With this group of listeners, they can stay entranced at any time of the day is fine, unless there is a special event or recess around the corner.

In our context, during school hours, you have only limited time to tell your story. When the bell rings, you will have to leave your group of students to go to your next class. If it is close to recess time, students might leave you no matter how gripping the story you are in the middle of is.

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS d) Pace yourself. Regardless of where you will be performing your storytelling, you must be prepared to tell stories that fit the time limit given to you. If you are uncertain about the amount of time scheduled for your performance, you need to know how to shorten your stories. Better still, have some shorter ones ready. Practice can help pace your storytelling session. The timing and pacing within each story should also be practiced with diligence. Stick to the time allotted to you as there might be other events scheduled right after your performance. Vary your speed and use pauses. You also need to learn to slow vary the speed of your storytelling act without compromising the time scheduled for your performance. This way, you will have a more active and attentive audience and listeners. What we want to avoid is putting them to sleep! So, let them have time to laugh, to ooh and ah, and to wonder what is going to happen next. In other words, dont race through your stories.

In short, paying attention to the timing, pacing and rhythm of your storytelling program will guarantee a successful outcome. Consider giving your audience some time to show their appreciation by staying up front or on the stage long enough for them to give you a rousing round of applause at the end of the performance.

6.2.7

Intonation

Intonation is about how we say things, rather than what we say. It is also a variation of pitch while speaking. We convey most of our message with our words, but the intonation we use to deliver those words also sends a message. We often communicate emotions, uncertainties, intentions to continue talking, and signals let others know were finished speaking all through our intonation. Without intonation, it's impossible to understand the expressions and thoughts that go with words.

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS Types of Intonation.

Here is an activity that would sum up the basic information you need on intonation.

Activity 14 Match the intonation in A with the definition in B.

A i ii iii iv Rising Intonation Falling Intonation Dipping Intonation Peaking Intonation

B means the pitch of the voice rises over time []; means that the pitch falls with time []; means the intonation falls and then rises []; means the intonation rises and then falls [].

Importance of intonation Intonation in storytelling is important. By now, you should be well aware the difference between reading aloud and storytelling. A storyteller must concentrate on the intonation because storytelling is not just reading aloud. The act of storytelling is always active and inventive so you must be a little bit of an actor and introduce all sorts of emotions present in the story, occasionally making sounds that reveal fear, happiness, sadness and similar. The use of intonation can help a storyteller and improve storytelling in many ways such as: to express the emotions and feelings of the characters in the story; to give better understanding to the listener; to make the storytelling more interesting to listen to; to stress the important parts (e.g. Moral values).

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS To convey the right intonation, you must first understand that in most cases, it is the intonation that conveys the real meaning, not the words! The following exercise will further explain this point and gives you a chance to practice using different intonations.

Activity 15 Say the following sentence out loud in three different ways:

happy and excited sad and worried nervous and worried

I have something to tell you. For instance, say, I have something to tell you in a way that conveys that it is a serious matter that worries you, and youre nervous talking about it. With a friend, try and identify the intonation for the different feelings conveyed.

In storytelling, it is not enough just to have wonderful pronunciation skills, but speak in monotones like a robot your audience may misunderstand your stories and messages. Intonation is important for communicating meaning. Coupled with wonderful pronunciation skills, you can do wonders as you tell stories to your young learners.

6.2.8

Props

Props refer to an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. 'Props' is short for 'properties', which are the physical things used on stage in drama productions, from telephones to chairs. They are thus the 'property of the drama company'. Small props are referred to as hand props. Examples of special props include prop sacks, prop weapons, hero props and others.

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS Do storytellers use props when performing? There are as many different styles of telling stories as there are storytellers. There are many who never use any kind of a prop, whereas, there are just as many more who do use one, two, or a variety of props when telling. It is really up to the teller whether or not and when or how he or she will make use of props.

How and when to use props? Here are some tips on how or when to use props. i) Only use a prop or props that enhance the telling.

ii) When choosing whether or not to make use of a prop, consider whether or not this prop will really add to the enjoyment and telling of the story, or will it detract. For example, if you decide to use a puppet or masks and there are many wonderful hand puppets and masks available will the audience remember the story or just the puppet and masks? iii) There are as many different kinds of props as the creative imaginations that storytellers possess. If you plan to use percussion instruments to set a beat either in the background or for special emphasis just use one.

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS Both children and adults enjoy chiming in on the phrase when you ask them up front for help and the beat of a drum just intensifies the mood. You can also ask your audience to either clap or click fingers in unison. How to tell stories and use props effectively? You might be wondering how to manage the props as you tell your stories. Here are some useful tips: You can make use of props to introduce yourself as the storyteller. You may adopt a storytelling symbol that identifies with you in particular or carry a special banner or sign announcing who you are. When telling to young children, some storytellers wear aprons with many pockets and let the children take turns picking an object from a pocket. The object picked dictates what story will be told next. Another teller has taught herself magic and weaves the tricks into her tales. She never has a problem finding a volunteer from the audience to help her with the trick. Prepare your props well in advance and practice using them before you perform.

Prepare, practice, and perform. As with all storytelling, preparation and practice are essential to giving an excellent performance. First, if you feel you would like to make use of props, choose those that have a relationship to the story. Ask yourself: If I use this prop, will it make the telling of this story better and more effective? If not, dont use it. Once you have picked a prop or props, practice, practice, practice telling the story along with using the prop.

Select and justify. Now, lets take a moment to see if you could identify and justify suitable props for a storytelling session. Activity 15 : Individual task Choose a short story to tell to a group of 7 year olds. Select two items which you could enhance your performance as a story teller (e.g. card, sock, stick and paper, card and string, paper cups) Justify your choices. Get ready to share your answers in class.

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LGA 3103 STORIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS To give you an idea on how to use props, look at the sample activity below. If you think it is suitable, try it out with your young learners. SAMPLE ACTIVITY:

Explain that people wearing masks are actually pretending to be the character. Emphasize that masks, like costumes, help people to tell stories by providing the audience with a way to tell the characters apart. Guiding Questions:

What is a mask? What is a mask used for? Who wears masks?

When and why are masks worn? How have you seen masks used before? What story can a mask tell?

Materials required Each student will need paper, pencil and coloured pencils. The class will need: face paints; cardboard and white paper; and elastic bands or tape Procedure: Choose a favourite folktale or story to perform with masks e.g. use a story from the children's reading books or online sources, Read the story selection to the students and review the details of the story. Next, make character masks. A simple mask may be made using a circle about the size of a dinner plate with cut-out holes for eyes and a V slit for the nose (be sure to use another teacher or adult for cutting). Punch holes on either side of the mask and tie a piece of yarn, string, or elastic through the holes. Students can decorate the masks to depict the faces of the story characters. If possible, embellish the masks with feathers, beads, glitter, fabric, and other tactile materials. To wear the mask: Put the mask on and tie yarn, string, or elastic around the back of the head. Assign small groups of students parts of the story. Each group are to present a skit based on the chosen story, with all the characters wearing their masks. Invite other classes to view the students' performance

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Have fun with your props. If you enjoy using props, start a small collection. You may find some interesting props in places like in toy stores, music stores or second-hand clothes shops.

During your storytelling session, let your audience see that you are having fun with the props that you use. It might be a good idea to prepare props that are long lasting and indestructible so that you can reuse them. Consider providing a small token prop for your audience to take home - this will remind them of the story they heard you tell.

Additional Readings

Read the following article: Storytelling Props And Puppets: How They Stimulate Language in http://www.txsha.org/_pdf/Convention/09Convention/New%20Folder/Drake,%20P eggy-Storytelling%20Props%20and%20Puppets.pdf

Conclusion Every time and every performance is unique to the teller. A storyteller must at all time make time to learn and practice using his/her crafts. A storyteller must continuously find ways to connect with his/her audience. You need to choose your stories well, create the right setting and environment, practice telling your stories, pace it well, vary your voice, your volume and speed, use pauses effectively, use the right language and expressions, use techniques and props in a creative way just so that you can create a world a stories for your young learners giving them an experience they cannot forget.

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Tutorial Task

In groups, prepare checklist of criteria for evaluating story telling based the notes on crafts for storytelling. Get ready to present the draft of checklist in class to get feedback from your tutor and friends.

Email the improved version to your tutor and friends.

[Reminder: please mention your sources in the footnote.]

To give you some ideas to complete the task above, visit the following sites: https://www.k12.gov.sk.ca/docs/ela102030/pg077.pdf http://www.unm.edu/~lhendr/cimte443/storycheck.htm http://www.socialbrite.org/2010/07/15/visual-storytelling-checklist/

REFERENCES

Adolphs, R. (2002), Recognizing emotion from facial expressions: psychological and neurological mechanisms. Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews 1: 21-61.

Angwin, R. (2005). Writing the Bright Moment. Yelverton: Fire in the Head

Elfenbein, H. A., Marsh, A., & Ambady, N. (2002). Emotional intelligence and the recognition of emotion from facial expressions. In L. F. Barrett & P. Salovey (Eds.), The Wisdom in Feeling: Psychological Processes in Emotional Intelligence (pp.37-59). New York: The Guilford Press.

Johnston, K. (1999). Impro for Storytelling. London: Faber and Faber.

Goldin-Meadow, S. (1999). The role of gesture in communication and thinking. Trends in Cognitive Science, 3, 419-429.

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McNeill, D. (1992). Hand and Mind: What Gestures Reveal about Thought. University of Chicago.

Mehrabian, A., & Epstien, N. (1970). A measure of emotional empathy. Journal of Personality, 40, 525-543.

Taylor, G.J. (1984) Alexithymis:Concept, measurement, and implications for treatment. American Journal of Psychiarty, 141, 725-732

Wright, A. (1997). Creating Stories with Children. Oxford: OUP

Internet sources: http://www.creativekeys.net/storytellingpower/editor.html http://storytellingcraftsandkids.blogspot.com/ http://www.timeoutchicagokids.com/arts-entertainment/arts-crafts-storytelling

ANSWER KEY 6.2.4 Gestures Activity 11 Question c) Suggested answers: allows the child to practice identifying and trying on facial expressions in a safe environment. They can experiment with fear, with danger, with surprise, with confusion; with jealousythe list is endless. teaches and prepares the child for the world around them. helps them to read the faces of the people around them, and this in turn helps the child to understand what social behaviours should be encouraged in these situations.

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6.2.5

Body movement

Activity 13 (Pairwork) Lets check how much you know and understand about body movement. Evaluate the statements with your partner: are they TRUE or FALSE? ABOUT MOVEMENT Movement is the motion of the whole body as you travel about the classroom. Movement attracts the attention of the listener because the eye instinctively follows moving objects and focuses on them Movement can help you convey thoughts to your audience. To make an audience believe you are walking through a forest you really have to see, hear and smell the forest in you own imagination. 5 If you do your eyes and your whole body will convey that forestry feeling. TRUE or FALSE T

2 3 4

T T T

6.2.7

Intonation

Activity 14 Rising Intonation means the pitch of the voice rises over time []; Falling Intonation means that the pitch falls with time []; Dipping Intonation means the intonation falls and then rises []; Peaking Intonation means the intonation rises and then falls [].

Prepared by: Noor Akbari Binti Ismail Ali IPG Kampus Kota Bharu.

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