Storytelling in Education

‘Story-telling has a real mission to perform in setting free the natural creative expression of children’ (Sarah Cone Bryant, 1910)

Over a hundred years after Sarah Cone Bryant published those words, the enormous potential of storytelling at all levels in education is just beginning to be realised.

Many teachers are recognizing the effectiveness of telling stories orally as an integral part of literacy learning. Telling stories leads to good, creative and expressive speaking which leads in turn to good, creative and expressive writing.

The potential of storytelling in education goes far beyond that however. There are all sorts of ways in which learning to shape, re-shape, create, elaborate and perform plots orally can teach skills, values and perceptions that affect very many and perhaps all areas of the curriculum. Narrative is the means through which we learn so many things best. More than that, telling stories is inspiring.

Imaginary Journeys  promotes joined up thinking about stories and storytelling, through highly entertaining and effective performances and workshops for children, talks for parents, courses and INSET and through various free articles, resources and information available from this site.

You can also find this expressed at length with all kinds of practical idea in Rob Parkinson’s writing about stories and storytelling , for example in Storytelling & Imagination  and Transforming Tales among other works.

For practical information about sessions in schools and how to make bookings, go to School Visits.