Storytelling has always been an important aspect of my parenting. Even before my first child was born I combed the aisles of Borders and other book stores, looking for just the right books to add to my children’s library. I looked primarily for books that were educational, attractive, sturdy, and consistent with the values of my family. Now, over 3 years later, I still make it a point to read to my children every day. While I enjoy reading for several reasons, including the quality family time and educational time it provides, I confess that book-reading sometimes becomes monotonous. Because I feel that telling my children stories is both important and valuable, I have devised several ways to keep reading fresh and exciting, even if it is the 75th time I have read the book. Here are some ideas I hope will help you as you read to your children:
1. Set the stage. Use your surroundings to reinforce and expand upon the story. Do you have books about nature, plants, or animals? If so, read them at parks, in your back yard, or even at the zoo. Do you have books in which the setting takes place in the dark? Pull the blinds and build a fort, then crawl inside and read the book using a flash light. Altering your surroundings to come in line with a particular book’s setting will help your child make associations and build her imagination.
2. Do the voices. I know it may sound trite; everybody knows that, right? By “do the voices” I do not simply mean that you should alter your voice inflection and tone with each character, but that your entire style should take on the feel and personality of each character. Be creative! Use accents, drawls, raspy voices, squeaky voices, scary voices and a variety of inflections. Characters can be greatly enhanced by whispering, shouting, trembling, whimpering, etc.
3. Let down your guard. Some of us are so reserved and afraid of criticism that we do not even open up to our children. Restraining the art of storytelling robs you and your children of the opportunity to be exposed to the full visualization of story concepts. Express the story dramatically and energetically.
4. Don’t read the words. If you are tired of reading the same lines, stop reading! Tell the story in a new way by going solely off of the pictures. Observe what the characters are doing and create your own storyline. If you have a child who likes her story told exactly the same way each time, encourage her to tell the story to you in her own words.
5. Tell it without the book. Chances are you already have several of your children’s books memorized already. Instead of sitting down and flipping through the pages, stand in front of your children and act it out. If your children are old enough, get them involved by having them act out one of the characters. Express the character voices, actions and emotions.
Reading to your children is one of the best things you can do to help them learn, imagine, and develop a love of reading of their own. Make the most of this opportunity by letting your guard down and using new ideas for creative storytelling.
