Jackson_Daley_Reading Reflection Blog 1

Reading Reflection: Week 1  

  After learning about the history of storytelling and understanding why storytelling is important I am excited to begin this journey that will lead to becoming a successful librarian. Storytelling is a work of art and has been around for centuries. Some things have changed in storytelling but the basics are still the same. Before learning about what storytelling consisted of, I thought it was just a person sharing a story or reading a story to children. But it was interesting to find out that people express beliefs, desires, and hope (Greene & Del Negro, 2010). I did not realize that reading to students orally would help them prepare to read for themselves. As a future librarian, I now know that there is much more than meets the eye when it comes to storytelling. 

    In my library, I will set a time for each class (kindergarten through third grade) to have storytelling. I must be fully prepared to present the class with a story. It is wise to practice reading the story and making sure that it is appropriate for certain age groups. You want to make sure that you have enough time to read the entire story to include pauses and dramatic vocal points to make it interesting. Storytelling is also a time of trial and error because you want to get a feel of what your students will enjoy. For example, do your students enjoy scary books or fantasy books? If I know what genre students prefer, I can be more effective as I share the story. I have included a video that shows a demonstration of storytelling.

    How to Tell Better Stories

    Another focus in choosing a selection of books is what types of books are preferred by each age group. I think the youngest age group would enjoy picture books that will give them visuals and older children will enjoy a fiction book that has more details to explain the story. Do you want to share short stories or expanded stories? Do you know how much time you have? Will you choose a fiction book to last a few weeks or do you want a short story to complete in a class period? The next thing to do is prepare for your storytelling experience. Are you going to have a visual or auditory approach? I would prefer a visual approach for the younger elementary-age students and an auditory approach for the older elementary-age students. You want to make sure your students learn the story and understand what is being read to them. Is the way you are speaking going to get them excited about what they are hearing? Most of all, make it a fun storytelling experience!

    I know from personal experience, that being profoundly deaf, I tend to stumble on my words and make mistakes when speaking sometimes. However, I know that practicing the story and reading and rereading will help my storytelling experience go smoother. Because as librarians, especially in the elementary school setting, if you are on a related arts schedule you have a time limit between each class. Some exercises will help storytellers to practice talking aloud and enunciating words correctly (Greene & Del Negro, 2010, p. 84). There are also speech exercises that can help avoid mistakes when reading aloud to students (Greene & Del Negro, 2010, p. 86). 

 

    Storytelling is also similar to giving a presentation. What are some things that are important when giving a presentation? Some examples that I feel are important are dressing appropriately, having a positive attitude, having a pleasant tone of voice, and using appropriate body language. This allowed us to focus during storytime. When I picture myself sharing a story with a group of first graders, I hope to share my excitement and motivate students as we read. I would make sure that my clothes are not too bright and distracting. I remember in elementary school, the librarian would always wear black or solid-colored clothing. In learning how to be creative, storytelling can be a colorful program that will motivate young readers. When students enter the library I will have expectations/rules that are easily recognizable that will enforce the respectful duties of students. There will be comfortable but organized seating to ensure that students can see me and the book I am sharing. 

    I wanted to share picture books, fables, and fairy tales that I read this week. The picture books I have chosen to read are newer books that were recently published and they all are part of the SCASL picture book awards. My favorite one of the five is Harlem Grown: How One big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood by Tony Hillary. I love reading a community-driven book and it concluded with a happy ending. My favorite fable that I read was The Lion and the Mouse by Diane Marwood. This is also a picture book and it shows a friendship and the Lion and the Mouse help each other in times of trouble. My favorite fairy tale picture book that I read was The Story of the Three Little Pigs by L. Leslie Brooke. This is a classic and has been around for centuries. I like this older version because of the artwork and how the language is shown. I have enjoyed reading all of these books and look forward to using this in my storytelling experiences!

                                 

References

4 Exercises to Improve your Storytelling Skills. (2021). Power of Storytelling. https://power-of-storytelling.com/storytelling-exercises/

Ellin Greene, & Janice Del Negro. (2010). Storytelling: Art and technique. Libraries Unlimited.

Harris County Public Library. (2019, October 14). How to tell better stories: Tips from a professional storyteller, A librarian [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBRajXra_w0