Donaldson_Christine_StorytellingExperience#1

 This first storytelling experience began with a rereading of many of the books my own children loved. I knew these were too old for the requirements for this class, but I wanted to revisit some of those authors and story elements that would guide me in choosing a newer book for this experience. My own children grew up with Eric Carle, the Froggy books, Iza Trapani, Clifford, Curious George and Dr. Seuss. Some of these were nearly memorized and I know the experience of reading and understanding these texts led to good storytelling experiences for my children. I wanted to look for these known characteristics and qualities in the newer books. 

 

The beginning of the school year required a search for books that focused on library organization and care of library books. This is my first year in an elementary library and I wanted to explore selections beyond what I was already familiar with. Twelve or so books were requested from my local library, and some of these were used with my classroom students. Some of the other books were saved for the future. Renewing my knowledge of characteristics from my favorite books gave me some insight into picking a book that would work well now. These twelve books were initially read for placement within the different age groups I teach, looking for books that would capture the interest of my students while imparting some knowledge or skill as well.  

 
 
 

Reading through the many books from my children’s childhood gave me a list of book characteristics that I was searching for. I like books that have songs knowing that students enjoy singing along. Books that also have good pacing, rhythm, and rhymes are also enjoyed by many. I was not surprised to find that Srividhya Venkat and Christie Underdown-DuBois both mentioned songs, gestures, facial expressions, voice manipulation, repetitive phases, rhymes, and music as ways that make storytelling more engaging. The storyteller’s body is as much a part of the story as the story itself (2020,2011). When I was looking at books at the start of the year, I really liked The Library Book by Gabby Dawnay, but it just did not fit with the beginning of the year lesson plans I had created. Engaging reluctant readers to check out books was not a focus though I may use this story in the future. Some characteristics of the book that made this a good option were the characters. Students can relate Ro and her love of books while other students can relate to Zach and his hesitation about reading books over video games. The illustrations also drew my attention. The book had a good mix of pages with picture snap shots with a white background contrasted with full page illustrations. I feel the students can glance at the snap shots but take more time really looking at the double page spreads. The illustrations also gave me a chance to pause on pages with large illustrations to allow time to take in the entire picture and allow for time to think about the text.  

 
 

Preparing for the recording of the story required repetition. Reading and rereading happened over a few days. As I read, I considered where a pause for emphasis was needed, the tempo of the reading, and how the characters could be voiced. There is also a picture walk that I do after I read the book a few times. I look at how the illustrations change and the expressions on the characters faces. This information can indicate how the story and the characters develop. Once, I had the rhythm and voicing decided, it was time to record. The story was now familiar enough that it only took two recordings and that was only due to background noises that were picked up during the recording.  

 
 

After the recording, I continued to think on how I could use this text with my classes next year and or improvements to the reading. Some different ideas and thoughts came to mind. I would pause and ask questions about whether the students are reluctant readers and then have discussions about why they feel this way. Helping the students draw connections between the book and themselves are ways to make connections and build relationships with my students. I would ask also students to raise their hands as the various types of books are suggested for the reluctant reader. It is good to become familiar with the reading preferences of your students and interesting for the students to see some of their fellow classmates' preferences. Some of the older students can take the book subjects suggested in the book and browse the library locating those books for future reference.  

 
 

Reading stories is one of my favorite things to do and I gauge my success on my audience and their reactions to the reading and the story. Some books just do not hold the attention of students regardless of how interactive the storyteller is or how successful a previous book is. I regularly incorporate movement, vocal inflections, and sounds into the books I read. When I read a recent book, Pete the Cat Checks Out the Library, was cute and I initially thought the students would like it simply because it was about Pete the Cat. After just one reading with a class, I soon discovered that the character alone could not hold the attention of the students. The students were not as engaged, and the flow of the book was detrimental to students’ focus. This was also not just one group of kids. It was read to three different groups and each group was disengaged. This was a good learning experience about book characters and popularity. I made an assumption that the book character would keep the students engaged regardless of some of the flaws in the flow of the book.  

 

References 

Dawnay, G. (2021). The library book. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson Inc. 

Dean, J. (2018). Pete the cat checks out the library. New York, NY: Harper Festival. 

Underdown-DuBois. (2011). Bringing Storytime Alive with Acting and Storytelling Techniques: an Interactive Article. Tennessee Libraries (Memphis, Tenn.), 61(2). 

Venkat, S. (2020). Using Oral Storytelling Techniques in Reading Sessions. Knowledge Quest, 48(5), 54–56. 

 

Folktales 

Buhle, P. Johnny Appleseed: Green spirit of the frontier. Seattle, WA. Fantagraphics books. 

Hernandez, J. (2017). The dragon slayer: Folktales from Latin America. New York, NY. TOON Books. 

Rhee, H. K. (2018). The turtle ship. New York, NY. Shen’s Books. 

Mora, P. (2005). Dona Flor: A tale about a giant woman with a great bog heart. New York, NY. Knopf. 

Corr, C. (2018). The great race: The story of the Chinese zodiac. New York, NY. Frances Lincoln Children’s Books. 

Meister, C. (2015). John Henry vs. The mighty steam drill. North Mankato, MN. Picture Window Books