Curriculum Project

Statement of Needs
 

    Children love stories.  From stories children learn about other people, places and culture.  When children learn to tell stories, they gain control and poise. It helps them develop language.  They improve verbal skills, learn how to think inventively and take appropriate risks.  When children bring books to life through storytelling, they develop a love of language and stories that are theirs for life.  The most important gifts a child can receive toward future success are reading and the sharing of language.  These can be achieved through children's literature and the telling of story.
 

• The purpose of this page is to provide a connection between reading, writing, children's literature and storytelling.

• Classroom instruction, lesson plans and library activities focus on books and the importance of reading.

• According to statistics in the September 29, 1999 issue of USA Today 28% of adults say they read to children daily, 15% several times a week, 9% once a week, 17% rarely, 28% never, and 3% weren't sure.

• Data Sources indicate the importance of reading to children.  Reading Statistics

• Journals and magazines was the process used to collect needs assessment data.

• This unit will benefit anyone who loves children's literature and is learning to tell stories for the very first time.

• The target audience is teachers, students, storytellers, librarians and the educational community.

• Introducing stories involves all five senses (touch, taste, sight, smell and hearing), communication skills (voice, body, gesture, face, eye contact, observation, concentration and listening), and world literary tradition (oral and written).  The are of telling stories utilizes rhythm, pacing, sound and silence, as well as words, meaning and response.