Let's put ourselves in a situation: we are with our son and we are ready to tell him the story he has chosen. We open it and start what will be just five fleeting minutes of history. We close the book and, before we can return it to its site, our little one tells us: "this is not done".
Although it seems to us that we have done great, there is a huge difference between telling a story and reading a story. And is that, telling stories is not as easy as it seems.
Children prefer that we tell them stories, not that we read them. And when we tell them a story, they let us know.
How to tell a story well?
Telling a story has many more advantages than just reading it. For example, telling a story gives us great freedom of interpretation, which makes the same story not seem the same if the situation changes.
Another important aspect is the expressiveness of the narrator. Our whole body (eyes, hands, mouth, voice ...) must be expressive enough so that whoever is listening to us can enjoy history.
To be able to recreate with the story We must play with our voice, with our eyes, with our gestures, which will help us express feelings more intensely and clearly.
Thanks to our emphasis on using all resources, it will be easier to capture the attention of the little one. In reading, the child only has to limit himself to receiving the stimuli, while when we tell him the story, he must interpret and process the information received.
The attention is also increased thanks to the emotionality and sensitivity of the storyteller. To this, in addition, we must add the narrator personality charm, which makes the connection with the listener faster and more intense than just reading.
An added effect that can accompany a good story is the use of visual media: dolls, drawings ..., which also help to enhance the expressiveness of who is telling the story.
Benefits of telling a story well
The sum of all these factors mentioned above results in that the child is completely introduced into the story, understanding her much better than if she only reads it.
We must not forget that the reality of our children is different from ours, and that their needs and difficulties are resolved differently. For example, every happy ending of a story means overcoming an internal problem (jealousy of the brother, fear of the dark ...).
Thanks to the stories our children identify with the characters, through which they project their internal feelings (good or bad), offering them possible solutions for them.
What is the use of telling stories?
There are many objectives that can be covered with storytelling. While the child's entertainment It can be the most used by most parents when they tell a story, you have to keep in mind that It's not the only one.
We must not forget that the stories generate communication situations, whether verbal ("again", "watch out for the wolf!", "and what happened next?" ...) as nonverbal (curiosity, body movements, rhythm control, sound and noise recognition, enhance the imagination… )
Conclusion
Even if it looks like a lie, telling a story is not as easy as it seems, since the narration of stories to the little ones of the house is an art.
