Teaching Through Stories

"This professional reference, focusing on oral literacy, provides teachers with a wealth of ideas on how to use storytelling in classroom settings, how teachers and students can tell effective stories, and how to use stories in various curriculum areas. The book is written in an easy-to-read, conversational style and provides a theoretical basis for the use of storytelling in a balanced literacy program. Components of this resource include: storytelling techniques; activities across several curriculum areas (music, art, drama, mathematics, science, social studies) and applications for all grades; personal stories, folktales, and literary tales; a list of references for each chapter and extensive appendices for suggested storytelling references and sources of stories. This resource is organized into twelve chapters, each opening with an appropriate story and ending with suggested activities for teachers and activities for use with students. The first two chapters discuss the importance of story and the storytelling process, followed by four chapters that integrate storytelling into the language arts curriculum. Chapters seven through ten incorporate storytelling within other curriculum areas. The final two chapters suggest ways to use storytelling to promote understanding of cultural diversity, of self, and of others. The text references student resources commonly used at grade levels from Kindergarten to Grade 10. Assessment is embedded throughout this resource; however, the resource does not take an in-depth look at how specifically to assess the storytelling process and the suggested activities. (The index refers to five pages that address evaluation.) Knowledge of assessment techniques would support classroom use of this resource." --