How to Help Kids Be Storytellers

“Every child is a storyteller,” or at least has the potential to be one. Thus is the belief of the people behind “The Kids WriteShop*,” an “integrated balanced literacy program” spearheaded by EducAsian Learning, Inc. in cooperation with Ayala Museum’s Filipinas Heritage Library.

Ms. Rodita Lemon Salonga, the main mentor for “The Kids WriteShop,” is an international school educator and reading expert and specialist. She says:

I believe children are natural storytellers. Children’s natural curiosity and imagination help them in their storytelling. At their young age they value memorable experiences by sharing them with others – these can be both happy events and events that caused them to be sad.

For the benefit of our readers who are involved in the education of children – parents, teachers, etc. – Ms. Salonga shares the following tips on how to help kids be storytellers:

1. Support their imagination.

How many times does a child come to us asking us to play teatime with them, or pretend to be superheroes. These scenarios are evidence of great imaginations. Help them create these “imaginary worlds” — provide them with the props to use, the setting to create or the vocabulary in their dialogues.

2. Ask questions not to always correct them, but to clarify.

If children ask a lot of questions we adults should too. But we should try to make sure that our questions are meant to clarify what they are trying to express, not to always correct what they are thinking.

As adults, we can tell if children are expressing stories based on their imagination or based on something real. By asking questions for clarification, we help them create a complete story. We always want them to stick to the events of their story, and come up with a simple beginning, middle and end. A reaction from the reader is always a gauge of a good story.

3. Share your own stories.

Children love to hear stories from people they love and adore. They like to make that connection that their parents were once their age. It is fascinating for some children to hear stories from their own parents, or even grandparents about the games they played or even the times they got in trouble. I have a lot of experiences in class where my students love to retell their parents’ stories – they serve as motivation to tell their own stories.

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*More information about The Kids WriteShop

The Kids WriteShop is “an integrated, balanced and progressive literacy program” that improves children’s reading, writing, speaking and listening skills by engaging them in language and literature-rich activities in combination with explicit teaching of comprehension strategies. It’s a great way for kids to learn how to be good storytellers, and even write their own books!

Through the WriteShop, kids will not only learn the art of storytelling, they’ll be reaping the following benefits too:

• Better performance in academics, especially in Math and English
• Advanced comprehension of word nuances, metaphors and abstractions
• Excellent problem solving skills; able to think outside the box
• Above average speed in recognizing and interpreting nonverbal cues; able to draw inferences
• Motivation to seek information for its own sake as much as for its usefulness
• A high level of engagement with reading, inquiry and writing tasks

Kids as Authors

Authorship does not choose a certain age. Even the youngest of children can publish their very own books. After the third workshop, the children will have the opportunity to author their own books.

Publishing Parties are a celebration the works of children. Kids have so much to tell the world. Let us give them the chance to share their works.

Kids who complete the 24-session program will be given the chance to be inducted into the prestigious, Young Writer’s Society.

Kids WriteShop Calendar:

24 Sessions from April 16, 2016 to April 1, 2017

4 Sessions per Module / 6 Modules in a year / 2 Saturdays a month

Php 8,000 plus VAT per module

Php 45,000 special discounted package for all those who will enroll in all modules by April 16, 2016.

Here is what one parent had to say after attending the Orientation Session for the Kids WriteShop last March 19, 2016:

We were not able to see what they presented last March 19 because they said the intro was for the kids but we did get feedback from it after. My daughter enjoyed the session and we will be enrolling for the first module.

They talked about different genres of books, and were asked to think about what kind of writer they would like to become.

We really liked what the facilitator Ms. Rodita had to say and share with us and we hope that she can help to develop our daughter’s story writing skills.”

— Aly Bondoc

For more information on The Kids WriteShop, please download the relevant event files here, or visit their . You can also follow on Facebook for updates.

*This post is brought to you by EducAsian Learning, Inc.