Importance of storytelling

Importance of Storytelling
Satura Smith
JAS Consulting

This was a very entertaining session! If nothing else an amazing lesson in public speaking and storytelling. Satura used a low tech style that focused on humor and found a way to connect with everyone in the audience.

Her basic premise was to focus on the simplicity of storytelling (think back about how we connected as humans) - and the importance of how it engages learners, encourages conversation, dialogue, vocabulary.

Great take aways - we are all storytellers, encourage children - storytelling, encourage questions, don't stifle learning, powerful tool (especially for illiterate / low literacy adults)

She highlighted, just like we did in our storytelling session for new hires, anyone can pick up a book and read - but to TELL he story - you must engage.

GREAT - it was definitely edu-tainment!


Notes copied and pasted -

Edu-tainment (no flip charts, no projector)
Early childhood educator, taught school for 0 years, worked for pbs television 22 years (laid off 09 – budget)

Workshops and training at pbs – started (JAS – jump at the sun (after book by zora neale Hurston – aim high always jump at the sun)

Video, television, ipod, internet – we don’t communicate by talking / speaking anymore – dialogue has changed. Literacy / literature not in the forefront

Storytelling was how she was brought up (storytelling around the dinner table, tree, barbershop) – was big

Children so engaged in technology – should be for enhancing learning – not replace it

We complicated learning, made it complicated

Conversation / dialogue is how nephew learned. Storytelling, dialogue should be brought back. Stories – back by the sky, slavery – quilts

Storytelling – powerful way to ENGAGE families

Early language development – powerful way to engage families

Child can read a story on phone, color

She presented last year for adult learners – organizations donate books – what if there is no reading in the home. What if reading is not a daily part of their life. What if no one reads this book to her? What if same language in the home is no the same as the book?

Grew up reading everything. Saw parents read. Aunt enrolled in the book of the month club. Storytelling family – set up stories, make it fun, engage in story, husband makes fun – get to the point, a real storyteller makes you engaged

Educators like to talk, be at the front

Mother best storyteller, storytelling encourages creativity, engage – active mind, imagination provokes child’s imagination – promotes dialogue

Television was family time – Disney on Sunday wonderful world of Disney, wizard of oz, Daniel boone
- asked questions, inquisitive

Mom told horrible stories – large population of gypsies there (mom would talk about how they would take us to an island), picture in house – mom would say she was the queen of the gypsies, her name was 7up,

Loosing family history becase we are not telling stories (taking pictures with our phones).

Literacy is a key component to socialization. We are not teaching our children how to talk. When we allow our children not to talk –

Get pictures, paste, construction paper make photo albums

Visited grandparents, no television, Grandma Lottie please read this to me (grandmother born into slavery – could not read), Satura demanded Grandma Lottie – read me this book. Mother said no. Child demanded. Grandmother read the story through the pictures.

Millions of adults illiterate – many will not admit they can’t read. Do something not threatening, not complicated. Talking. Storytelling. These families can story tell.

Storytelling – engage children – when they ask questions don’t stop, they’re using words, incorporate (oh good, let’s see if the pig has red shoes, let the child tell you the story whatever way they want (moon, red shoes)

Ex. Story – you deliver story with the same facial expressions / delivery

Intimidation – fear, attitude, anger

Make child – parent teacher, jazz kids up to teach the parents, make it fun and engaging,

Activity – 8 volunteers from audience

PBS – incredible teacher program (PBS.org – real literacy base program, good show between the lions)

Everyone starts their story with the letter B
(every good story has to start off)