Storytelling: Definition & Purpose

What Is Storytelling?
Librarian-storytellers have usually relied upon published sources for material for storytelling. Ellin Greene defined storytelling as:
"...an art...recreating literature-taking the
printed words in a book and giving them life. (World Book Encyclopedia, 1976)"
Folklorists find this definition unacceptable, however, since they are studying storytellers who have learned their stories orally. Anne Pellowski attempted to draft a definition acceptable to both the folklorist and the librarian-storyteller. She defines storytelling as:
"the art or craft of narration of stories in verse/ and or prose, as performed or led by one person before a live audience; the stories narrated may be spoken,
chanted, or sung, with or without musical, pictorial, and/or other accompaniment and may be learned from oral, printed, or mechanically recorded sources; one
of its purposes may be that of entertainment. (World of Storytelling, p.15)"
This broad interpretation generally meets our needs. It should be noted, however, that some of our great storytellers, both past and present, not only told stories, but also collected them. Ruth Sawyer, great librarian-storyteller, collected and told stories. She shares her experiences in collecting stories in her book, My Spain; A Storyteller's Years of Collecting (Viking Press, 1967). Contemporary storytellers, such as Richard Chase [Blue Ridge Mountains] and Diane Wolkstein [Haiti], also combine collecting original stories with their storytelling activities. Stories come from the spoken arts; from real experiences; from watching, listening, reading and cataloging experiences for future use.

Why Tell Stories?
Why go to all the time and effort to prepare stories for telling? The following are some purposes garnered from various sources. The aims of storytelling can be:
(1)Sharing and creating a common experience in storytelling aids in the development of a child's ability to interpret events beyond his immediate experience (Baker, p. 17). The child's world view is expanded through story experiences in a non-threatening and loving atmosphere. Storytelling is an exceptionally personal experience.
(2.) Introduce the child to oral language patterns. The child needs wide experience with spoken language, if the child is to achieve success in reading (Baker, p. 17).
(3.) Develop a child's listening skills. (Baker, p. 17)
(4.) Develop a positive attitude on the part of the child for books and reading. Storytelling is an excellent means of introducing the children to the wonderful world of books. Be sure to have a supply of books on hand so that children can read books similar to stories told. (Baker, p. 18)
(5.) Contribute to the social and cognitive development through shared experiences...to feel joy for another's happiness or sadness at their misfortunes. (Baker, p. 18)
(6.) Contribute to the child's mental health. Help the child cope with his own conscious self by giving the child structure for his own daydreams and fantasies (Bettelheim, p. 7)
(7.) Aid in development of an ethical value system. (Scott, p. 23)
(8.) Introduce classic tales which all well-informed people should know.
(9.) Aid in vocabulary development.
(10.) Entertain and amuse the child.
(11.) Enrich the various areas of the curriculum, as English, history or science.
(12.) Help the child appreciate his own cultural heritage, as well as the heritage of others.

Telling Your Story

Be relaxed when storytime comes. Have all preparations which need to be made in advance completed before the audience assembles. Welcome the children, using a carefully modulated voice - neither too high or too low. Set a low key atmosphere.
Sometimes brief introductory material about the story being told may be presented to the audience. Background necessary to understand the story may in some cases be required. Always give the source of your story: another storyteller; a book; etc.
You may have a set phrase to introduce or close the story. For ecample to introduce the story, the scence is set for telling by a West Indian custom:
Narrator: Cric
Audience response: Crac (We want to hear your story).
No one speaks but the narrator after this exchange (Pellowski, p. 106). Endings might be: Snic, snac, snout; my story is told out. This ends the story.
Maintain eye contact with your audience, moving your eyes around the audience rather than concentrating in one area. This is useful for holding attention. You will also be aware if the children are restless. If the story is not going well, you may have mismatched story and group. If this happens, consider trying to wrap the story up and finish quickly. You may also find a good stopping place and suggest that the children might like to find how it ended by reading the book.
For young audiences or audiences with short attention spans, more use of body movement or a little more drama in presentation may be useful in holding their attention. Don't overdo it, however.
If children are unfamiliar with certain words or ask what a word means, try to incorporate a brief definition within the story.
A child who is unruly may sometimes respond to having the story told more directly to him or her. Do not allow one child to spoil the story for everyone. Having another adult present to aid in removing unruly children is helpful. Children who do not wish to participate should be removed from the group.
If the entire group is restless, do not get angry with them. Try not to let the storytelling time disintegrate into an unpleasant experience for all. Try to anaylze the problem. Your story selections may be inappropriate to the audience or the story may be too long. Some outside factor may be interfering with the children's ability to concentrate.
A special setting, as a wishing candle with books and flowers on a table, may be employed (Baker, p. 65). [Remind the kids if you do this not to do it themselves.] A storytelling apron is fun with younger children. A carpenter's apron with pockets will do. In each pocket is placed an object which represents a story, as a stone for Stone Soup. A child selects a pocket and a story is told. A few simple props may also be used. Do not allow props to detract from the story, however.

Storytelling Record Keeping

Keep a record of the stories you have learned. Prepare a file for each story. A simple database works well since you can search your records easily or use a card file. I like to keep a copy of the story or book for later use. The book or story may not always be available later for you to review.
The following recommendations are based on those of Baker (p. 42) and Ziskind (p. 9):
Title:
Author:
Source: [Either a book, a person, etc. since you always give credit.]
Running Time: [Try to have a 2 minute story, etc. for fillers.]
Characters:
Sequence of Events:
Brief synopsis:
Important elements of the text: [2 or 3 beginning & ending sentences; refrains; vocabulary to be retained; rhymes]
Audience:
Index by themes: [Funny, ghost, value theme, adventure, etc.]
You'll find your index to be helpful in locating a story for specific purposes.

Simonetta Parenti