EFFECTIVE STORY TELLING – MAKE IT EXCITING
A Blog by Rev. Grace Verrier
Some of the stories I read to the kids in my class were good ones but often I would lose the attention of the children (and of course we know what happens then). I decided to research how other children’s pastors could keep kids on the edge of their seats when they were reading or telling stories. These are some of the things I learned:
- You should be very familiar with the story before you read it. Read it through several times on your own first.
- Give each character who speaks a different voice appropriate for the personality of the character. For example if a child is speaking, use a child’s voice. If it is an old man, use an old man’s voice during the appropriate dialogue
- If the emotion is tense or exciting speak that way. If the emotion is slow speak slowly. Be sure to exaggerate the emotions.
- Use sound effects. For example when someone in the story knocks on a door, make a knocking sound.
- If the story has an unusual ending that is a bit of a cliff hanger, tell the children you will finish the story the following week. After they beg you to finish right then, do it.
- Ask them to fill in blanks as you are telling the story. For example, “He came upon a large animal with big ears and a long nose. What do you think it was?” That way the children are actually involved in the story telling.
When I began to incorporate these methods, the children would beg me to tell them stories. It made it fun for them and of course it was so much easier for me.
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