Story Telling within Primary Education

Story telling is one of the most important factors within primary schooling. It is not only of significance to schools because of the literacy factors it contributes to, but I can also develop social skills and begin to develop numeracy skills. 

Jessica-mae Light, Elizabeth Williams-Wynn, Alison Price (myself)
and Eve Bangwan. Discovering and taking part in storytelling during
a university seminar. 

Storytelling can obviously increase literary skills such as reading and spelling, as well as introducing and enhancing knowledge around colour and artistic techniques through the use of illustrations. Practicing reading and telling stories will highly develop skills needed to develop academically within primary school. With anything practice will improve the quality of the skill you are trying to develop, as reading is fun and enjoyable for the children they are practicing reading and literacy without really knowing. 

Numerical skills can also be addressed through the use of stories, imagined or published. As well as these academic skills being enhanced through storytelling. Stories within nursery and primary settings are normally written to develop a skill. Maths techniques such a basic counting can be developed through books about numbers, but even learning to recognise numbers is developed by page numbers.

Students’ competence within their social skills and mindfulness are also developed through acts such as listening and addressing an audience, even if it is their fellow classmates in small groups. ‘stories assist the development of social awareness and help children to build up an emotional vocabulary.’ (Eades, 2005)) Listening to stories can reduce ‘stress in the classroom, promote literacy, speaking and listening skills, help children to develop thinking strategies and promote their social and emotional development - all while they engage in a rewarding and enjoyable activity’. Whilst even listening to a story children are beginning to develop their skills.

Storytelling is a multimodal activity that helps to engage learners who otherwise may not be participating due to the fun nature of it, because of this children develop a relationship with stories and a positive attitude toward learning. Without the use of storytelling, children who otherwise may struggle with connecting to subjects they do not particularly enjoy are able to relate and participate fully through storytelling due to the many modes it includes. ‘Many teachers think that story telling will take away from class time, but it doesn’t. Storytelling is part of your lesson, and makes the actual lesson much more powerful.’ ( Hamilton et al) Story telling can be applied to any subject on any curriculum, during maths lessons children can be explained something they don’t understand through the use of story telling to relate ideas to real life situations. 

Stories that aren’t even written down are also important too. Children telling imaginary stories in the playground develops their imagination and social and friendship skills amongst one another. It also begins to teach children about literacy skills too, through practice in telling a story children begin to learn how to structure stories in the right way, as well practicing the order of words in a sentence for example. Its not just the child telling the story who is developing their skills, the children listening are too. ‘Being told a story has elements to it that are not present when a book is read aloud,’ (Eades, 2005.) whilst developing their listening and social skills they are also picking up on how to tell and create stories also.

Children are challenged through story telling through the idea that even infront of their peers the children could be scared reading aloud. Through overcoming this the children will feel a sense of reward and fulfilment. ‘Story telling feels scary because you are creating something unique, something that draws on who you are and what you have experienced.’ (Eades, 2005) Children telling stories allows them to maybe discuss things they are bothered by, perhaps through anecdotes. Perhaps if something is wrong at home the story telling can be used to open up and discuss issues in an easier, non confronting way. 

Overall, children can benefit significantly through the use of story telling. Not only they’re academic and literary skills but also their social development and creativity.

References 

Eades, J. (2005) Classroom Tales, Using Storytelling to Build Emotional, Social and Academic Skills across the Primary Curriculum, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, pp 11)

(Children Tell Stories: Teaching and Using Storytelling in the Classroom 2/e, Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss. pp2.)