On March 20th, we celebrate Storyteller Day. Although the date was created in 1991, in Sweden, storytelling is an ancient art.
From the beginnings to the present day, the need to communicate and express oneself is a characteristic of man (who is a social being). Throughout these times, we have found different ways to fulfill this need. One of them is the oral narrative, used as a transmission of knowledge and experiences.
The oral tradition has been passed on from generation to generation. In many cultures, children and young people often gather to hear the stories told by their elders. To this day, oral narrative is a custom among African and Australian primitive tribes, and even here in España this custom still persists.
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In a time when machines have taken over our entertainment, with the predominance of the most visual and “instant” narrative, rescuing the culture of storytelling is a necessity to maintain the bond, the integration and a more organic and natural communication.
In a word, the narrator
The storyteller lends his feeling, intonations and emotion to the narrative, which makes this moment unique not only for the peculiar interpretation of each narrator, but also for the interaction and interest of the listener in knowing each next step of the story. . The attentive eyes, the racing heart, the expectation of events. All of this conveys the magic of the act of reading and the role of the reader, who almost becomes a separate character, who sets the tone for the reading.
The act of storytelling promotes the interest of young people and children to discover new realities and fantasies, stimulating imagination and reasoning. Not to mention that it also encourages the desire for reading, as many will want to become storytellers, so they can lend their emotions and perceptions to the same narratives, or even create their own.
A good storytelling requires the narrator to have good timing, so that, in the moments of climax, he knows how to set the tone and hold his audience, extracting from it the emotion necessary for the unfolding of the plot. Lots of concentration and patience are also essential. In addition to the desire to teach, transmit knowledge and experience to attentive eyes and ears. The gesture and the look are also important, as each action complements what is narrated. The most gratifying thing is to see the reaction of each listener and the desire to delve deeper into the construction of the characters presented. Everything that involves reading and imagination is magical.
Being a storyteller is an art. Everything he conveys completely transforms the perspective of the listener, especially children. On this Storyteller Day, congratulate the professional who is dedicated to bringing new worlds into the world of his listeners through words. If you are a storyteller, you deserve more than congratulations, and not only on your day, but on all others!
To strengthen the habit
How about taking advantage of Storytelling Day to put this essential habit into practice, even more so nowadays, when cell phones, tablets and computers dominate our routine?
Make a reading wheel. Choose interesting books for your little ones. If your children are not yet literate, try to be the teller of the time, using your emotion and talent to tell the story your way. If they already know how to read or are beginning to read and write (especially for longer readings), suggest that they do the narration themselves. Let them read, invent and add to the story they are reading. Anything goes to exercise imagination and strengthen bonds and the habit of reading among your little ones.
