Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, and images, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation, and instilling moral values. Crucial elements of stories and storytelling include plot, characters, and narrative point of view.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storytelling

Why Storytelling

Storytelling is the oldest form of teaching. It bonded the early human communities, giving children the answers to the biggest questions of creation, life, and the afterlife. Stories define us, shape us, control us, and make us. When we tell our first story, there is a magical moment. The children sit enthralled, mouths open, eyes wide. If that isn't enough reason, then consider that storytelling:

• Enhances the community in the room.
• Improves listening skills.
• Inspires purposeful talking, not just about the story.
• Gives a motivating reason for English-language learners to speak and write English.

1. Pick a relevant story.

2. Adapt the story to fit the audience.

3. Make the point clear.

4. Keep it short.

5. Practice telling the story.

6. Be prepared for any reaction.

7. Cue the audience that a story is coming.

http://ezinearticles.com/?7-Steps-to-Successful-Storytelling&id=6770647

Storytelling using props (puppets)

Puppets are a great addition to any story teller's toolbox. They help to bring tales to life, interact easily with any audience and can create enormous amounts of humor with just a small move or look. Using a puppet to tell a story is a wonderful technique that can lead children to discover the joy of literature and learning. Puppets can be used “anyway, anywhere, and anytime” to bring stories to life and to spark young imaginations.

Puppets can be made out of anything from catalogs to paper cups, and from envelopes to plastic straws. If you use your imagination, the possibilities are almost endless. Even the simplest, hand-made puppet can be thrilling for a young child.

Read more :

http://www.ehow.com/how_5619656_use-puppets-tell-story.html

http://www.libsci.sc.edu/storytelling/techniques/CollinsPuppetHanout.pdf

Advantages of using puppets

1. Provide students opportunity for verbal expression.

2. Puppets help to develop dramatic expression.

3. It helps to develop appropriate voice modulation.

4. It gives them confidence.

5. It provides them emotional release.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/21559836/Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-Teacher-Made-Materials

Disadvantages of using puppet

1. The hand-puppets can say things that might seem offensive if spoken by a person.

2. A hostile or hateful hand-puppet can more easily be made wrong or be made to change his or her mind.

3. Distract young children or cause them to not pay attention to what the hand-puppet is saying because they are too busy focusing on the hand-puppet's movements and the way the hand-puppet looks.

http://www.slideshare.net/kokilavaaninarayanan/the-importance-of-puppets

Music links children to their cultural heritage, assisting them to acquire cultural beliefs and values. Listening to music also exposes children to other times and cultures and provides the opportunity to gain appreciation for them. In addition, as children create music together, they engage in a metaphorical experience, where different instruments combine to make a unique sound that no individual instrument could produce. Through this process, they learn that to make beautiful music, you must have unity and work together.

Physical Development

Participating in movement or dance activities while listening to music enhances children’s ability to sequence sound, recognize and respond to rhythm patterns, and discriminate melodies (Ferguson, 2005). As children dance to music, they increase coordination, flexibility, and motor skills. They develop body awareness and self-confidence. Like music, dance is an art form and a means of communication. Through dance, children communicate feelings, thoughts, and cultural values and beliefs. . Like music, dance is an art form and a means of communication. Through dance, children communicate feelings, thoughts, and cultural values and beliefs.When Curious Minds provided dance props in the music area, the children became more interested in using the center. They would often dance in front of the three full-length mirrors while rhythmically moving streamers or scarves. At other times, they would dance while playing a musical instrument. Young children naturally respond differently to sound and silence, fast and slow music, and different musical styles (Metz, 1989). However, adults can enhance children’s movement repertoire by describing what children are doing, making suggestions, and modeling movement. Adults are powerful models. In one study, children using a music center during free play copied two-thirds of the teacher’s modeled movements (Metz, 1989).

Cognitive Development

Many studies have found a correlation between music abilities and academic achievement (Shore & Strasser, 2006). Music can aid in all areas of the child’s development. A study of 106 preschool children found that those exposed to a systematic and integrated music program significantly increased their motor, cognitive, language, and social-emotional scores as assessed by the Preschool Evaluation Scale (McCarney, 1992).

Singing relevant songs can help children to learn science, math, and language concepts (Miche, 2002). History and geography can also be enhanced by examining the music of the time period or geographic area. Music can also assist with memorization. When items to be memorized are set to music, children remember them more readily (Sawyers & Hutson-Brandhagen, 2004).

Music is organized mathematically; music and math support one another (Sawyers & Hutson-Brandhagen, 2004, p. 46). As children hear and move to a beat or read music, they use one-to-one correspondence skills. As they recall a series of sounds or actions (head, shoulders, knees and toes) they gain seriation skills.

There is also a strong relationship between music and spatial-temporal intelligence (the ability to visualize and mentally manipulate spatial patterns). A review of nineteen studies found this relationship was even stronger if children also learned music notation (Hetland & Winner, 2001). Other studies support these findings. When researchers assigned preschool children to computer lessons, piano lessons, singing lessons, or no lessons, those who received piano lessons showed a 34% increase in spatial-temporal

http://www.education.com/reference/article/music-center-enhance-children-development/

How to know when children are engaged in music and movement in the classroom?

1. The children would refocus and engage actively in group lessons.

2. The children also refocus on their individual work.

E.g :

when the students were off-task, the teacher would sing a song, chant or rhyme, which helped the students refocus and complete their work