Many tellers quiver with fear when asked to tell stories to children under five years old. Why? Because these can be the most difficult audience of all. They may crawl away in the middle of a story, come up to sit in your lap, interrupt with inappropriate, long stories of their own, or cry. It sometimes feels like you're doing an improv act as you adjust to the behavior and attention span of the group in front of you.
BUT--it's rewarding, exciting and fun. These little ones love to hear a story. You'll be teaching them how to listen, an important literacy skill. They will be learning how to interact with a storyteller, how a story is told and what signals a storyteller might give that invites group participation, and when it is okay for them to contribute to the story.
Some rules for survival for the storyteller and for a rewarding learning experience for the children:
1. Use shorter stories. Children in this age group need stimuli changes more frequently. Yes, some can listen to longer, more complex stories, but most will not have the skills for that. Give them shorter stories with a few characters and lots of action words.
2. Provide opportunities for them to be part of the story. By this I mean chants, songs, or actions they can do as part of the story. Look at your story from a different perspective. If someone pets a dog in the story, can you add that action so that the children all pet the dog, or hold up a treat for the dog, etc? In Goldilocks and the Three Bears, what actions and chants can you introduce so the children can join in?
3. Repetition, repetition, repetition. Cumulative tales, stories with repeated words and lines are excellent choices for the preschool age group. These kinds of stories develop learning skills they will need later on as they begin to read. Stories like The Old Woman and Her Pig are great choices.
4. Don't ask them a question, unless you want a long answer--and from several children! They will be happy to tell you at length why they think the old woman's pig won't jump over the stile.
5. Don't worry if they crawl under the tables--they're probably still listening! Don't have the same behavior expectations of them that you might have of older children. They'll learn, just give them time to grow up.
Need sources for stories? The following booklist is a good place to start:
MONDAY MORNING PRESS
Nursery rhyme crafts by True, Susan.
ABC puppets by Marilynn G. Barr
Animal rhythms, alphabet by Cindy McCord
Storytelling with puppets, props, & playful by Huff, Mary Jo.
ALLEYSIDE PRESS
Alleyside book of flannelboard stories by Bay, Jeanette Graham.
Sound and action stories by Jerry J. Mallet
The storyteller's cornucopia by Cooper, Cathie Hilterbran.
A treasury of Asian stories & activities for by Spagnoli, Cathy.
TEACHER IDEAS PRESS
Full speed ahead: stories and activities for children on transportation, by Jan Irving and Robin Currie
Frantic frogs and other frankly fractured fairy tales, by Fredericks, Anthony
Raising the roof : children's stories and activities on houses,By Irving, Jan,
Straw into gold: books and activities about folktales,by Jan Irving & Robin Currie
BY AUTHOR JEAN WARREN
Short-short stories, Everett, WA : Warren Pub. House ; c1987.
Storytime theme-a-saurus, Everett, Wash. : Warren Pub. House, c1993.
Teeny-tiny folktales, Everett, WA : Warren Pub. House ; c1987.
1-2-3 puppets : simple puppets to make for... , Everett, WA : Warren
"Cut & tell" : scissor stories for winter, Everett, WA : Totline Press, Warren
Make & take concept rhymes,Everett, Wash. : Warren
Toddler theme-a-saurus : the great big book, Everett, WA : Warren
By Author Valerie Marsh
A Treasury of Trickster Tales
Puppet Tales
Paper-Cutting Stories for Holidays and Special Events
Mystery-Fold : Stories to Tell, Draw, and Fold
OTHER TITLES FOR STORYTELLING TO YOUNG CHILDREN
Storytelling activities kit: ready-to-use techniques, lessons & listening cassettes for early childhood. Jerilynn Changar & Annette Harrison, Center for Applied Research in Education
Easy-To-Tell Stories for Young Children by Annette Harrison. National Storytelling Press, Jonesborough, TN
Stories to tell a five-year-old selected by Alice Low . Little, Brown, and Co
BUT--it's rewarding, exciting and fun. These little ones love to hear a story. You'll be teaching them how to listen, an important literacy skill. They will be learning how to interact with a storyteller, how a story is told and what signals a storyteller might give that invites group participation, and when it is okay for them to contribute to the story.
Some rules for survival for the storyteller and for a rewarding learning experience for the children:
1. Use shorter stories. Children in this age group need stimuli changes more frequently. Yes, some can listen to longer, more complex stories, but most will not have the skills for that. Give them shorter stories with a few characters and lots of action words.
2. Provide opportunities for them to be part of the story. By this I mean chants, songs, or actions they can do as part of the story. Look at your story from a different perspective. If someone pets a dog in the story, can you add that action so that the children all pet the dog, or hold up a treat for the dog, etc? In Goldilocks and the Three Bears, what actions and chants can you introduce so the children can join in?
3. Repetition, repetition, repetition. Cumulative tales, stories with repeated words and lines are excellent choices for the preschool age group. These kinds of stories develop learning skills they will need later on as they begin to read. Stories like The Old Woman and Her Pig are great choices.
4. Don't ask them a question, unless you want a long answer--and from several children! They will be happy to tell you at length why they think the old woman's pig won't jump over the stile.
5. Don't worry if they crawl under the tables--they're probably still listening! Don't have the same behavior expectations of them that you might have of older children. They'll learn, just give them time to grow up.
Need sources for stories? The following booklist is a good place to start:
MONDAY MORNING PRESS
Nursery rhyme crafts by True, Susan.
ABC puppets by Marilynn G. Barr
Animal rhythms, alphabet by Cindy McCord
Storytelling with puppets, props, & playful by Huff, Mary Jo.
ALLEYSIDE PRESS
Alleyside book of flannelboard stories by Bay, Jeanette Graham.
Sound and action stories by Jerry J. Mallet
The storyteller's cornucopia by Cooper, Cathie Hilterbran.
A treasury of Asian stories & activities for by Spagnoli, Cathy.
TEACHER IDEAS PRESS
Full speed ahead: stories and activities for children on transportation, by Jan Irving and Robin Currie
Frantic frogs and other frankly fractured fairy tales, by Fredericks, Anthony
Raising the roof : children's stories and activities on houses,By Irving, Jan,
Straw into gold: books and activities about folktales,by Jan Irving & Robin Currie
BY AUTHOR JEAN WARREN
Short-short stories, Everett, WA : Warren Pub. House ; c1987.
Storytime theme-a-saurus, Everett, Wash. : Warren Pub. House, c1993.
Teeny-tiny folktales, Everett, WA : Warren Pub. House ; c1987.
1-2-3 puppets : simple puppets to make for... , Everett, WA : Warren
"Cut & tell" : scissor stories for winter, Everett, WA : Totline Press, Warren
Make & take concept rhymes,Everett, Wash. : Warren
Toddler theme-a-saurus : the great big book, Everett, WA : Warren
By Author Valerie Marsh
A Treasury of Trickster Tales
Puppet Tales
Paper-Cutting Stories for Holidays and Special Events
Mystery-Fold : Stories to Tell, Draw, and Fold
OTHER TITLES FOR STORYTELLING TO YOUNG CHILDREN
Storytelling activities kit: ready-to-use techniques, lessons & listening cassettes for early childhood. Jerilynn Changar & Annette Harrison, Center for Applied Research in Education
Easy-To-Tell Stories for Young Children by Annette Harrison. National Storytelling Press, Jonesborough, TN
Stories to tell a five-year-old selected by Alice Low . Little, Brown, and Co
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