~ The Art of Storytelling ~

What a treat it was to have Mrs Brace in the room to demonstrate the art of Storytelling. We're going to have a "Storytelling Fest" later  this term so I  asked her if she could come in,  share her skills and give us some useful tips. The children from Karratha Primary assisted by advising Mrs Brace which of her stories to tell.  Here's a report from Brianna and Charlie.

Mrs Brace told us three stories. The names of the stories were: "The Giant's Golden Tooth", "The Hairy Toe"  and the one her Year Sevens thought might be too scary for us, "Mr Fox". 

"The Giant's Golden Tooth" was about this one little giant and ninety-nine other giants. The little giant had a golden tooth that the other giants were jealous of. To save himself from always getting beaten up, he threw the golden tooth into the air and it became the sun. 

"The Hairy Toe" was about a poor lady who went to bed and heard the wind saying, "Who's got my hairy toe? Who's got my hairy toe?" At the end of the story, Mrs Brace quickly bent over and tickled the person in front of her, giving them (and us) a fright. This time it was Dejah. Apparently at KPS, they always get the unsuspecting new kids to sit at the front, knowing full well what will happen.

"Mr Fox" was about a princess who was about to marry the character, Mr Fox. She wanted to see what their new castle would look like but there was no castle, only an old cottage with a high tower. Now this story included rooms full of dead bodies, a lady getting her finger cut off and at the end, the wicked Mr Fox getting chopped into pieces. Well, it was a bit scary, but not too scary!  

Mrs Brace gave us the following tips:

  • Choose a short story that you really like. It will make it easy to remember.
  • Body language is really important, as are facial expressions and hand gestures.
  • Vary your voice. Let your voice rise and fall, speak louder sometimes or reduce your voice to a whisper at others. Use character voices. This will make your voice more interesting.
  • Consider standing up and acting out.
  • Stories with much repetition not only make them easier to learn but are more fun for the listener e.g.

"Be bold, be bold, but not too bold. Let your blood run cold."

Thanks Mrs Brace - you were great!

To see how the children performed at their "Storytelling Fest", click here!