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Hello everyone!

After reading the material, storytelling is an effective strategy to help students construct language and literacy skills. Storytelling requires not only telling a story but also being able to connect with the content and do it enthusiastically. Doing this will help children to develop their understanding of the content and engage them in the activity by listening. What’s more, this strategy allows children to participate actively as well as develop their critical thinking by asking them questions and letting them make connections with their personal experiences.

In the end, after retelling the same story several times, children will be able to make their own stories by drawing first. This experience can be meaningful to them because they are involved in the process. However, if they struggle with how to continue with their story, teachers need to encourage them by asking questions to expand their ideas. In my practicum, I distributed to the children stick animals and then I started telling the story “Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you see?” and asked the children to lift the stick animal whenever they heard the animal. In this sense, active listening was being promoted as well as their participation.

Kind regards,

Ayelén Paolucci

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The Complete Guide to the Theory and Practice of Materials Development for Language Learning (Tomlinson and Masuhara, 2017)

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The Complete Guide to the Theory and Practice of Materials Development for Language Learning (Tomlinson and Masuhara, 2017)

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Hi everybody! Here’s my contribution on stories and storytelling according to Tomlinson and Masuhara (2017) - Theoretical principles

Stories are highly attractive to young children and play a vital role in second language (L2) acquisition for young learners.

Stories capture children's attention, curiosity, and focus on meaning, providing rich language input and fostering motivation.

Effective storytelling involves experiencing and enjoying stories rather than treating them as study materials.

Techniques like dramatic readings, glove puppets, visuals, props, and sound effects enhance the appeal and accessibility of stories.

Educational materials for young learners should start each unit with a live storytelling session by the teacher.

Students should be encouraged to enjoy the story without post-reading questions, with access to a written version afterwards.

Teachers should use sensory elements to reinforce language learning during storytelling, such as actions, props, and sound effects.

Students should be encouraged to create and perform their stories promotes active engagement and language development.

Peer feedback and practice are essential for students who want to become storytellers themselves.

Cheers,

Sofi

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Hello everyone !

I couldn't agree more with Marcos and his recommendations of Carol Read´s videos from UNIT 3. I believe that stories are the most useful tools for contextualising the vocabulary or structures in a meaningful learning environment.  It is a tool that  allows children not only to be creative but also to use their imagination.

Stories have great potential to develop L2 in young students but it is important to be well developed and suitable for them.                 I will add to MArco ́s tips  for storytelling that they must have short sentences and pictures must be colourful and appealing to young learners.

Regards,

KAren

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After reading some theory about this unit, I can say that the concept of criteria is very useful to guide us in the selection of materials to use in our English classes. There are to types of   criteria which are called local and universal criteria. The former has to do with the specific context of your learners, special characteristics such as gender, age, level of English, interests should be taken into account. The latter deals with the experience or personal view of the teacher as regards to what extent the reading texts generate connections in learners. Also, it is important to have in mind if the task create possibilities to use the foreign language in a meaningful way, to communicate with a purpose. In addition, universal criteria guide teachers to consider whether the topics engage the learners affectively or not.

Tomlinson and Masuhara argue that pictures are crucial to producing and conveying meaning practically to see what is happening in a story.

Finally, I would like to share with you a series of short stories that can be applied in our English classes. The book is called Pirucho, the cat and his friend Perico, The Mouse ( a creative cat an envious mouse)
The book was written by Stella Maris Gamba, from editorial Dunken.
at the beginning of my post, there is an image of the book. I hope it helps.
Regards, Santiago

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Carol Read is a renowned children’s education specialist, and we have been provided in “Práctica Docente II’s” forum (unit 3) with some videos by her explaining how to develop the “art” of storytelling. I like to consider it an art since there are many issues regarding its completion to take into account that I consider in close relationship with our talents and our teacher’s identity (use of the voice, acting, body language, grace, creativity, humour, interpersonal intelligence)

Storytelling is an excellent tool to integrate with drama since both contribute to developing children’s capacity for fantasy and imaginary play. From the pedagogical perspective of “socio-constructivism”, it is an activity that gets children involved in interactions with pairs, helping them to develop an understanding not only of themselves but also of the world around them.

In connection with L2 learning, due to being a shared classroom event, it engages children’s interest, attention and imagination, becoming a multi-purpose tool as it enhances the use of multiple intelligences and learning styles and provides a framework for fostering social skills and attitudes, for instance, active listening, collaborating, and turn taking. With this in mind, we can include it in our lesson planning as an enriching way to teach L2 through a variety of abilities (listening, speaking, group reading).

TIPS FOR CHOOSING STORIES

* The story selected should be suitable for the children it is intended for.

* The language level of the story needs to be appropriate for children’s knowledge and fit in at least partially with the syllabus.

* If the story has a discourse pattern likely repetitive, accumulative or includes a rhythmic refrain helps the acquisition of specific language constructions.

* It is advisable to vary the kinds of stories over time.

TIPS FOR TELLING STORIES

* Practise how you’re going to tell the story: which actions you’ll use to convey meaning, the use of your voice and the places you are going to pause or ask questions to encourage children to show their understanding or predict what’s going to happen next.

* Be sure that every child can see them and hear you: hold and show illustrations slowly around the group.

* Try to maintain eye-contact with the children so as to keep them focused and attentive.

* Give children enough time to think, look, comment, ask or respond to questions.

* At the end, it is important to invite children to give a personal response to the story (if they liked, have had similar experiences or feelings to the characters, etc.).

Finally, I highly recommend this book by Carol Read, “500 Activities for the Primary Classroom” (2007), Macmillan, London. In my opinion, it is a valuable resource of concepts, hints and activities for teachers.

On the other hand, I find this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8k93ylkBPA) quite illustrative regarding the benefits of storytelling in a summarized way.

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Storytelling help children make sense of their world and it influences social,  individual, emotional and cognitive aspects.
As Tomlinson remarks it is better when there is an affective link with the material used for learning.
I like the idea of stories using colourful picture books, acompanied by the tone of voice, rhythm, sounds, onomatopeia. There is a Carol Read`s video about this topic which I found utterly engaging and useful.
Through narratives, children are exposed to  language in use and to use language for communication.

Lorena Salazar

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Story Time with Carol - Run, run, run - Story

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Hi everybody! Reading your contributions made me think about the importance of affective and cognitive engagement that we studied in Unit 6 and how important this is for young learners of L2.
For it to be an enrich learning process we need to make sure kids get engaged in their own learning and I find this as a priority when choosing a story and also while taking the storytelling to the ELT classroom. How kids are going to be emotionally touched by the story they are listening to is going to set us up for success for the next activities that the storytelling is going to lead us to.

Thank you!!

Manuela Canova

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Hello!
The materials provided in this unit were helpful in further exploring all the resources that can be used in the classroom when we are in front of a kindergarten class.
As future English teachers, storytelling is a great resource to use front of very younger learners.
As i could see in my observation classes, kids were very interesting when  the teacher told them a story.
Analysing the material provided in this unit, i belive important to point why reasons is so value use this resource.
First of all, are motivating, enjoyable and they can help children to develop a positive attitude.
Another important thing is to consider is that help to use and develop the kid´s imagination. They´re able to pretend to be a fantastic character, an animal or a super hero.
Third,  storytellings can be an excellent moment to create a social environment, where children can share social experiences as feelings or emotions.
When these stories are repeated over and over again, help kids  to better fix the vocabulary and introduce a new one. Also is important because they can listen to the rhythm, intonation and pronunciation.
Finally we must emphasize, that this can help children to develop different skills as listenig and concentration.

Thanks!
Yamila De Angeli

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Hello everyone!
I really like all your contributions! The material presented in this Unit is very useful and interesting!
I would like to mention what I have found interesting about Storytelling in the material written by Gail Ellis and Jean Brewster. The authors mention that when evaluating storybooks to use in a primary English Language Teaching (ELT) classroom, it's important to consider various features to ensure they are suitable and effective for young learners.

The following questions should be addressed to determine whether a storybook is a good fit:

1. Is the story something you like and can convey enthusiasm for?

Teachers should feel passionate about the story to engage their students effectively. Enthusiasm can be contagious and make the learning experience more enjoyable.

2. Is the story something your pupils will like and enjoy?

The story should resonate with the age group and interests of the students. Their enjoyment of the story will enhance their motivation to learn.

3. Is it interesting in its content, motivating, and capable of holding the children’s concentration?

The story should captivate students' attention, keeping them engaged throughout the reading. This helps in maintaining focus and interest in the lesson.

4. Is it an appropriate length or one that can be broken down into parts or chapters?

The story's length should be suitable for the age and attention span of the students. Longer stories may need to be divided into manageable segments.

5. Is it familiar to the children (e.g., a well-known fairy tale or a story from their own culture), enabling them to consider their prior knowledge and make predictions?

Familiar stories can build on students' prior knowledge and cultural background, making it easier for them to comprehend and make predictions about the plot.

I hope you find these tips useful when selecting a storybook for our little students.

Hugs,
Corachan, María Eugenia.

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While reading the material there was a specific part in Rebecca T. Isbell's article "Telling and Retelling Stories-Learning Language and Literacy" that caught my attention.
This also is related to what Eliana mentioned about adding a variety of resources and options to complement the recording of the story we had chosen.
In my opinion, just making children listen to a recording, or even showing them a video of someone reading the story, it's not enough to help them in their development of literacy skills.
I have always thought that the teacher reading the story, and dramatizes it through the tone of voice she uses for the different parts and characters, or the sounds she makes as "special effects", is what makes the story come to life.
We can make the first telling this way, and if we want, we can show them the recorded version as a retelling. This way they may create a mental image using their imagination and creativity, and they will relate words to their meaning in context thanks to the first time the teacher told them the story.

I will enter the padlet regularly to read new contributor's comments!
Love,
Rocío Cabalote

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Hi, everyone! I agree with Juli's contribution to the 'padlet' about the different pieces of advice for an adequate story-telling activity. To begin with, according to the handout, this method has the greatness of providing students with the possibility of research on the symbolic potential of language. Narrative deeps on the use of the language for educational purposes, it does not reflect only spoken and written words. It involves imagination, creativity, and gestural features, among other aspects equally relevant.
In my case, I witnessed story-telling in one of my observations. The teacher employed 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'. Students were amazed, and there was positive feedback. Also, the development of the activity denoted a laborious preparation. Some of Julian's tips were observable: creativity, inspirational stories, books and writing resources, research, empathy, constant practice, observation and persistence.
I noticed that during the process, the teacher was constantly showing them the images and asking simple questions about the story recycling some of the concepts from previous classes. Students participated actively and were rather enthusiastic.
Thanks to my classmates who contributed enormously with their ideas. It might be seen as a simple method, but arduous preparation is behind.

Regards.

Jeremías N. Pallotto

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All children love listening stories besides being an exciting and fun activity,telling stories it could be beneficial for variuos aspects of children´s cognitive growth and development.Some benefits that highlight the importance  of storytelling to kids:
* Storytelling helps teach about moral and values: knowledge about rigth and wrong,good and evil and other virtues.
*Stories introduce new ideas;: so they know about differents kinds of people and places and events.They expanding their imagination while they know about different cultures.
*Storytelling promote creative thinking and encouraging creativity ,giving the children to come up with their own endings.
* Storytelling enhances language development,can help children learn new words,improve their grammar and give them the opportunities to use in various contexts
* Builds emotional intelligence and storytelling  can help children identifies and regulate their emotions and help how to deal with difficult situations.
*Story telling is a fun way to learn:Engaging their imagination and expanding their horizons,stories can help chidren discover new thing about the world arond them.

Hugs,
Mariela Fernández

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Hello Everyone!

Couldn't agree more with you girls! Storytelling provides not only an engaging context for learning, but also other pre and after reading possibilities such as acting, playing, craft, guessing, etc.

Apart from the tips already mentioned, another one called my attention when choosing a story to work with:  look for stories that could engage with our class beyond selecting one that matches with the syllabus.

The activities are successful when learners can relate with the story and make it their own, they like to do things themselves.  That is a reason why, activities like making their puppet characters, guessing what comes next or even creating a different ending are some of the suggested activities.

Even though we might have a recording, always add something else so that children can use other senses.  Additional noises, acting, visual support, a puppet, etc.

Maybe invite another character they already know to participate in the story as well.

I look forward to reading your posts!

Regards,

Eliana

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Hello everyone!!
Effective storytelling involves the ability to tell a story in a compelling and captivating way to engage your audience. Some tips to strengthen this ability are the following:

Creativity: Creativity is essential to develop interesting and original stories. It is not a tangible material, but it is the fundamental basis of "storytelling".

Inspirational Stories: Read and listen to inspiring stories from other people. This will help you understand how success stories develop and will inspire you to create your own.

Books and writing resources: Invest in books on creative writing and storytelling. These resources offer tips, techniques, and examples that can strengthen your storytelling skills.

Notebook and pen or writing software: Having a place where you can take notes, sketch ideas, and write drafts is essential. You can use a physical notebook and pen or online writing tools like Microsoft Word or Scrivener.

Research: Whether you are telling stories based on true events or in a specific context, research is essential. Make sure you have access to reliable information sources and time to do your research before writing.

Empathy: Understand your audience and what interests them. Empathy will help you connect with them on a deeper level and tailor your stories to their needs and interests.

Constant practice: Storytelling is a skill that improves with practice. Write regularly to hone your storytelling style, and experiment with different approaches and genres.

Feedback: Look for honest feedback from friends, colleagues, or writing groups. Feedback will help you identify areas for improvement and refine your stories.

Observation: Pay attention to the stories that surround you in everyday life, in the media, and in popular culture. Watching the stories unfold will help you learn from successful and less successful examples.

Persistence: Strengthening storytelling takes time and effort. Perseverance is key to developing this skill over time.

Hope you find this tips useful! :)
Julián Alvarez

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Hello!

I really liked the ideas of my classmates. The material in this unit seemed incredible to me, since I still did not plan. It will really help me a lot.

I came up with an activity that can be divided into two activities or into two lessons, since, as in my case, I will only have 30 minutes of class.

The first activity would be for them to draw and colour freely or for the teacher to designate what each one draws. For example, one can draw a dog, another a princess, a castle, a dragon, etc.

Without them knowing, the teacher puts all their already finished drawings, folded in a box.

Then for the next class the children will sit in a circle and then the teacher is going to call each one of them to take a picture out of the box. The teacher is going to stick these drawings on the blackboard and that child will say or invent a phrase related to the drawing.The teacher can write the story on the blackboard too.

At the end we all create a story using our imagination. Ultimately, if someone does not know what to say, the teacher can help them with questions.

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I agree with Denise, those tips are relly helpful.  acoording to the material, it also can be a good tool to make a group circle and give students turns ton continue the story. The teacher starts with the first sentence and the student next to her tells the second sentence of the story. Of course each student can be receive a number and then number one is asked to tell the next sentence of the story. At the end they will form a colaborative story that will make them enjoy the moment by being creative.
Regards
Flor Urra

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Hi everyone

While reading through the materials I found some helpful tips that I would like to share. One of them is to give a dramatic reading of a story. Children may feel encourage to participate if they are invited to finish the next word or phrase. They may also pay more attention and even clearly identify recycling concepts in stories if we use visuals, props, and sound effects while reading.

Two additional things that I would like to apply is to start each unit with a story so that children enjoy those moments. They may want to have a copy of the story for themselves, so it would be helpful to keep some additional written versions. Also, I would like to guide my students to create your own stories. If they are very young they would not know how to write but they can narrate and I can write or all together we can create a collage with photographs and drawings that tells a story.

Have a nice day,
Denise