Here are some simple tips to make your storytelling more dynamic and engaging when reading aloud in the classroom. Even when reading text, basic storytelling techniques can be applied to great effect. Here are my top 5 tips;
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Make sure your listeners are ready. Is everyone comfortable? Can they see you?Hear you? It is important to be sure everyone is engaged from the beginning. One way to do this is to use call and response. This is an ancient form of communication and can ensure positive participation. I use a simple call and response to encourage my listeners to be focused and ready to listen, and have included it at the beginning of all my attached stories. It uses calls and claps and is great fun. Try it out, or make up your own.
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Make eye contact. Wherever possible, look away from the book and make eye contact with your listeners. Not just a glance, really look at them. If that moment in the story is a funny one, then do it with a smile. If the moment in the story is a menacing one, look at them with menace. Help them to engage with what is happening in the narrative.
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Look out for opportunities for participation. Is there any repetition? Anything a character often says? Get the children to join in with these bits, take the time to anticipate and encourage participation .
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Ask questions. Don’t worry about interrupting the flow to ask a question such as, what do you think is going to happen? Why do you think he did that? What would you do if it was you? This will encourage the children to think about the narrative, about the sequence of the story, and about the characters.
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Take your time. Don’t rush, give yourself plenty of time to put all of the first 4 points into your reading. You will find the story or chapter takes a lot longer to read, so allow for that.