Teach the kids to tell tales

[KateESal]

Another one from The Guardian...this article was published in the UK edition a few weeks back, (so we can't take any credit for it this time ) but it raises some interesting points, which I suspect are also pertinent in education systems in other parts of the world too.

Over the last few months, I've been doing one-to-one coursework interventions with 15 and 16-year-olds in our school. The piece of coursework is a narrative or a descriptive passage of 600-800 words.

When I work with the students, it's obvious who the fiction readers are - they are the ones who have a much surer grasp of the mechanics of telling a story. But all too many have only a vague grasp at best. As a result, my husband (Head of English at the school!) has asked me to put together a scheme of work aimed specifically at telling stories. It's not that story telling hasn't been touched on in other parts of the curriculum — it has. Once upon a time, more of the children would have been readers and the various steers contained within our existing lessons would have been enough to help them with their own creative writing. But now, many of them simply haven't assimilated that storytelling knowledge.

Is storytelling a useful life skill? After all, we're not trying to train future authors for their trade. But contained within the craft of narrative is a raft of useful communicative techniques.

Well, that's what I think — but I would say that, wouldn't I?!

Any thoughts?

 

[CageSage]

Storytelling is a skill everyone needs. It's not whether it's a fiction or not, it's about how to say something with meaning.
I had a few teenage foster kids, and that means a lot of trouble, so there were (lots of) rules.
How this relates to storytelling? Friday nights were the special times. Each person got to stand at the head of the table and read out their issues for the week with no disturbances.
Special food, special presentations. But - five minutes was all the time they had to speak about all the problems that came up in the week that were worthy of the time.
How to deal with that? Get the ducks in a row, write it out (read it aloud to the dog), be clear, focussed, and present it in the order the audience would understand. Oh, like a structured tale? Exactly.
- This is my problem; this is when it started, this is when I decided to do something, this is the first thing I did, this is what changed at that point and I moved onto the next stage (sometimes with help or advice), and this is how it all came together.
Sounds just like a story to me.
Kids who understand how stories work don't seem to have as many problems with things like essays or presentations ...
Stories have always been how we share knowledge in a safe and interesting way, experiencing the emotions of the construct but without the risk that would come from real-world experience.
That's what I think.
Story rules!

 

[RK Wallis]

My kids (first years of High school - a Catholic college), actually have to write a fantasy story (1000 words), and they're taught about rising action etc.

If I could find it, I'd post my son's story. I mean, he uses the word 'obsidian' (he was only 13 at the time). I know what you mean @KateESal, guaranteed he didn't pay at attention in class, and he's not a huge reader, but he's read a bit, and it shows (definitely not the punctuation!). A teacher could see he's a reader, it's obvious. I'm no teacher and I could tell. Lots of gaps to my mind, but escalating into a climax. So, I think our particular Catholic system agrees with you - storytelling IS important.

I like @CageSage's idea about teaching the kids to do the presentations. I don't think I could get our kids off tech to do that, lol!

 

[Paul Whybrow]

To encourage children reluctant to share their stories, they can be encouraged by showing how jokes, short poems and song lyrics draw listeners in to what are essentially condensed stories. These are forms that we memorise—tiny tales that captivate.

 

[KateESal]

Stories have always been how we share knowledge in a safe and interesting way, experiencing the emotions of the construct but without the risk that would come from real-world experience.

Once again, @CageSage you live up to your name. I think the point you make here is extremely important.
Stories can help explain things and they can be a safety valve (cathartic, if you will)

This has become especially pertinent to me in the last few days because one of my children is undergoing a diagnostic process which will almost certainly conclude that he has a condition called PDA: Pathological Demand Avoidance. It's an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, but differs from "classic" autism in many ways. People with PDA tend to use various ways of warding off what is essentially a panic or anxiety attack, and one of those is to disappear into a fantasy realm...into a story. That is certainly what my son does and has done so from a very young age. Essentially, storytelling is a his way of safeguarding his mental health

To encourage children reluctant to share their stories, they can be encouraged by showing how jokes, short poems and song lyrics draw listeners in to what are essentially condensed stories. These are forms that we memorise—tiny tales that captivate.

Very good suggestions, spot on.

I mean, he uses the word 'obsidian' (he was only 13 at the time).

That's impressive!!

 

[Paul Whybrow]

The article on storytelling also cropped up in Nate Hoffelder's latest Digital Reader newsletter:

What Tim Lott says about the importance of learning how to tell a story is forever true.

By alluding to politicians, he hints that understanding storytelling will help youngsters pick apart the half-truths and pie-in-the-sky promises they spout. Teaching children about the language used in advertising is another way of guarding them against falsehoods.

Just think of the meaningless of the word 'could', when used in commercials.