Children Love Story Telling
All kids love hearing stories.
One easy way to begin your story telling career is to use a picture book. I find that holding it against my chest/stomach and reading it upside down works well. If you cannot read upside down, then hold it off to one side so you can glance over at it that way. A good plan is to read the story ahead of time so you do not have to read the story word-by-word. Younger children will not even know that you are not saying the exact words.
What type of story should you read?
I present here 3 classic story telling types.
- fairy tale
- nature story
- historical story
Let’s look at each type.
The Fairy Tale
“Once upon a time …”
We have all heard that famous line. At least in many Western Cultures. A fairy tale. Most of us can remember being told fairy tales. Little Red Riding Hood, Snow-White, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Puss-in-Boots, and many more. Many of these have been made into modern animated movies, and in some cases, regular live actor movies. A favourite is The Princess Bride. Or how about Ever After starring Drew Barrymore.
Although most children just hear the simple story, the underlying moral truths or general life experience lessons seep into their subconscious, to emerge later in life.
The Nature Story
Bringing animals, and even plants, to life is another common story type. First to this mind is Bambi. This famous Walt Disney movie is about a young deer as he grows and matures. E.B. White’s beloved children’s book “Charlotte’s Web” is about a spider and a number of farm animals. It was also made into a movie.
The nature story type can be used to introduce actual facts about nature, and about the interaction amongst nature’s various creatures and plants, etc. As well, and especially for city children, this story type introduces them to life forms that they rarely get to see. A fitting extension to this is a trip to a zoo, or even a real farm or large forested area.
The Historical Story
Compared to the nature story, which tends to discuss the present, the historical story helps us to give our children a sense of their past, and their ancestors. As a child’s mind matures and enables them to understand the concepts of parents, grandparents, and beyond, a historical story enables us to share a connection of generation with generation. I think of “Little House on the Prairies” as one example here in North America. A historical story also helps build a sense of patriotism and national pride.
Historical stories also give our children stories of true heroes, as opposed to the modern sports hero, and similar. Quality historical stories often help instill desire of emulating goodness and wisdom.
Time to Act
Do you regularly read to your children? Start now to introduce your child to stories. Grab one from the above genres and read some of it each evening, just before bed. Your child will become enthralled and will look forward to this new nightly ritual. In many cases it will turn them into readers as they grow, and maybe even decrease their dependence on electronics!
I would also suggest that you visit websites like Grandpa Richard’s Children for other ideas and advice on raising children, and thoroughly enjoying your child’s, or your grandchild’s, early years.
Red Riding Trilogy – Official Trailer
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