The Power of Story
Teaching through Storytelling
Second Edition
Storytelling plays a central role in empowering educators and learners to synthesize and verbalize personal experiences, communicate feelings, and construct meaning, all of which are processes vital to effective learning. The opening chapters of The Power of Story address the question, “Why should I tell stories?” The next five chapters provide guidelines and ideas for how one actually tells a story. The final chapter provides dozens of useful storytelling activities for classroom use, all of which emphasize the fun of storytelling. Future educators can use these activities as a starting point for their own teaching; all can be easily adapted to specific grade levels and situations. The second edition includes profiles of story-tellers of all ages, a chapter on the growing genre of family stories, and numerous print and nonprint resources. The richness of this practical guidebook comes from the authors’ own personal experience in storytelling, in teaching storytelling, and in using storytelling in their teaching.
“This is a really wonderful book. It offers good solid advice to assure any potential storyteller of their potential success.” — Bill Gordh, CUNY, Queens College
1. Storytelling Is . . .
2. This Is Why I Tell It: The Value of Telling Stories
3. We All Have Stories: Discovering Personal Narratives
4. Going to the Well: Choosing Stories for Telling
5. Taming Stories for Telling: How to Prepare a Story
6. The Story Is in the Telling: Finding Your Own Voice
7. Bringing a Story to Life: Story Dramatization with Listeners
8. Happily Ever After: Exploring Storytelling through Activities
Appendix A: Short Lists of Essentials for Good Stories and Storytellers
Appendix B: Storytelling Resources on the Internet