Why Tell Stories
by Brian Fox Ellis

Appeared in the January 1997 issue of Storytelling Magazine, pgs. 21-23.

For reprint permission or to contact:
Brian Fox Ellis
PO Box 10800
Peoria, IL 61612-0800
or call 1-800-525-4514

Teachers are being asked to do more and more with each passing year. Over the past twenty years, educators have seen a constant onslaught of state-mandated curricula, federal initiatives, administrative directives, and parent committee requests. I would like to suggest that by using storytelling in the classroom, teachers can fulfill many requirements at once.

Storytelling is the perfect embodiment of whole language pedagogy. It is interdisciplinary. Storytelling addresses the needs of students with different learning styles and teaches higher level thinking skills. It provides opportunity for cooperative learning and building social skills. And most importantly, storytelling has been shown to build intrinsic motivation and sell-esteem, even in the students who are labeled hard-to-reach.

As professional educators it is important that we understand the pedagogical implications of our work. The following essay provides the theoretical basis for the use of storytelling in the classroom. My aim is to lift storytelling out of the fluff of something offered as a reward for good behavior, and to place it firmly at the core of the curriculum where it rightfully belongs. My hope is that storytellers and teachers will clip this article and make copies for the next time someone questions the need for spending more money on storytelling programs or the next time someone says “Oh, she was just telling stories.”

The Case for Storytelling in Classrooms

I. Storytelling is the embodiment of whole language.

In every storytelling experience there is speaking and listening, and motivation for reading and writing.

Through storytelling, students learn the importance of clear articulation and dramatic interpretation. They gain first-hand experience in the performing arts and an opportunity to enhance their self-esteem.

No other medium develops listening skills as effectively as storytelling. Stories stretch the audience’s attention span and their imagination. Storytellers teach audience etiquette and the important concept of knowing when to listen quietly and when to listen actively by joining in. Listening to stories also improves vocabulary, which in turn improves sight reading.

Stories stir a student's intrinsic motivation to read more books. A story performed well will be checked out of the library for months afterwards. Also, reading aloud is an important step in learning a story for the telling. Comprehension improves as students re-tell and interpret the story.

In a storytelling classroom, students read each other's writing – so writing has more purpose. Having students write for a specific audience is a dynamic way to inspire, inform, and motivate better writing. Students can write their own versions of a wide variety of tales, using basic folklore as a template for learning story form and story grammar. Through reading and listening, students are exposed to the joy and rhythm of language which directly translates into clearer, more fluid prose. Through performances they get immediate feedback which improves editing skills. As a storyteller in residence, the comment I heard most frequently was that storytelling not only inspired students to write, but that it gave them the skills they needed to become better writers.

These four aspects of language development improve simultaneously. As students are involved in storytelling (or listening or reading or writing) they are gaining language experience and developing skills which in turn helps them in the other three areas. Storytelling, more than any other medium, exemplifies this process and leads to a measurable improvement in the ability to communicate effectively.

II. Storytelling is interdisciplinary—and the perfect thread for tying the curriculum together!

Within every story there are many language arts lessons, as outlined above. Also within every tale is information about the culture where the story began and opportunities for exploring cross-cultural geography, or looking for ways in which a culture relates to its ecosystem using folklore as the lens. Embedded in the story is a wide array of facts and information about the cultures applied sciences like agriculture, fishing and hunting, herbal remedies, and architecture, Stories contain conflicts and hurdles to overcome: an opportunity to teach problem- solving and applied mathematics. Within every tale there are opportunities for artistic expression – a mural to be painted, a dance to be choreographed, music to be played and sung (even in foreign languages!).

Ways in which we are different and alike can also be highlighted to build a bridge between cultures. It is amazing how much we car learn from a single story. For example, in “Jack and the Bean Stalk” we know Jack and his mother are farmers because they have a cow. They drink milk and eat bread beans, which is a balanced vegetarian protein source. We also know that some people are poor like Jack and his mom and some are rich like the Giant so they have a class consciousness. Jack was raised by a single mother. They believe in magic (the beans) and the supernatural (the Giant). In some versions of the story they talk about the king, so we know their political system was a monarchy.

Other branches sprouting from that vine include: a math lesson in which the value of the cow is calculated versus the bags of gold, the golden harp, and the golden eggs. Was there a profit? For science, a class could study domestic animals, milk and egg production, measure the rates of fast-growing beans, explore the smells of "Englishmen" and olfactory sensitivity. Was Jack a thief? Hold a court with students being judge, jury, defense attorney, prosecution, witnesses, and court reporters. Have students write songs and script for a musical production.

III. Storytelling is a perfect tool for meeting different learning styles

A well-balanced performance includes

• the spoken word and vivid descriptions for the auditory learner
• clear imagery, pantomime and the possibility of making props for the visual learner
• emotional depth, conflict, and strong feelings for the affective learner
• opportunities to sing or act out parts for the kinesthetic learner.

By including a good balance of each learning style, the storyteller is also challenging the audience to interact with the material using the other modes of learning and thereby stretching the learning skills of each audience member.

IV. Storytelling is a dynamic way to teach higher-level thinking skills

Before, during, or after a story the teller and listeners could

• recall basic facts, names, places, and the order of events;
• summarize the story, or interpret the moral;
• predict the end of the story having heard the first half, or brainstorm ways to get the main character out of crisis;
• compare and contrast various characters in the story, different versions of the story, and different but similar stories;
• classify the story by type, characters, or setting;
• judge the villain in a mock trial;
• evaluate the teller for technique, audience response, and interpretation of the material;
• observe the main character in a new, imaginary setting and make inferences about their behavior based on what is known about them
• apply the information learned in a story to the creation of a new story

V. Storytelling facilitates cooperative learning and the development of social skills

Storytelling is a duet of well-rehearsed oration and attentive listening. A cooperative audience and a performer who knows how to elicit the imagination of each listener is the key to a successful event. An alert storyteller honors the needs, desires, and constant feedback of the audience. The audience, in turn, follows the lead of the performer, opening their minds and hearts to new possibilities.

In the classroom, interactions can be enhanced by several techniques:

• Circular storytelling games are exercises in which someone begins a story, develops a plot, or introduces a character or setting, and then hands it off to the next person who adds to the story before passing it to the next person – and so on, around the circle.
• Peer editing and reviewing are dynamic ways to get feedback from a partner or team. Students read or listen to a partner’s story, then help him or her work out the details of the plot, or correct spelling and grammar errors.
• Small groups may be formed, with each group choosing a story and acting it out as a skit. Using the jigsaw strategy, each member of a group could become an expert on one aspect of the story. For example, students could explore cultural origin, historical period, symbols and metaphors, and different versions of the story. Each student would research one topic related to the group’s story. These experts could then meet with their peers in other groups who are researching the same aspects of a different story, and share notes. Finally, all members of the group could meet and teach each other their areas of expertise in relation to the story.

VI. Storytelling builds self-esteem and motivates hard-to-reach students

Storytelling elevates self-esteem by giving students a chance to perform, a chance to shine before their peers. Often, it is the class clown, the one who is always in trouble, who gives the best performance. These students are usually not able to show their strengths in the typical classroom, where being quiet and following orders are encouraged. Their spontaneity and sense of humor are constructively channeled by this experience and they achieve success.

Brian "Fox" Ellis has been traveling the world since 1982, collecting and telling tales. In addition to performing, he also presents a wide range of teacher training programs and storytelling residencies. His first book with Libraries Unlimited will soon be release. Stories From the Earth and Sky is a collection of original science tales. Each story comes with creative writing and hands-on science lesson plans. For more information, write Fox Tales International, P0 Box 10800, Peoria, IL 61612, or send email to 102110.477@Compuserve.com.