1. The Benefits of Storytelling           
   

We create our lives though stories we tell ourselves and the stories we hear. What stories are we telling our children?

 Social Understanding

Storytelling promotes understanding of other peoples and cultures. In a story we feel connected to others and this promotes compassion, tolerance, respect and responsibility. It connects us as a family and community.  We see ourselves in the story. It is feeling, moving and being the benevolent king, the sharing elves and even the mischievous monkeys.

The connection between storytelling and literacy is well established. Storytelling creates a love of language and motivation to read. Vocabulary, comprehension, sequencing, memory and creative writing all benefit from storytelling. Storytelling improves listening skills that are essential in learning and in relationships. Storytelling encourages creative writing, creative thinking and problem solving. 

Science and technology without imagination is like music without and instrument. By Imagining it, we create the possibility. It you can't imagine it you can't create it. When children "play a story out" they have a chance to change the characters, the conflict or the resolution. When you make those kinds of changes you see the possibilities in a story and in life. It empowers a child to change their world.

Emotional

In a story a listener can personally experience fear and heroism, love and hate, compassion, sorrow, grief and joy in a controlled and safe environment. Where else could you experience high adventure or tender love in such safety? Only in storytelling.

We develop stronger memories for the events of our lives when we learn to convert our events into meaningful stories.

One good story always leads to another point of view, another adventure, image, voice, place.