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Mar. 27--With soccer practice, music lessons and the latest video games or reality TV shows vying for children's attention, the age-old pastime of storytelling seems to be falling by the wayside in American families.
"We're killing the imagination," said Bev Twillmann, an award-winning storyteller from North Idaho. "We have a nation that is falling further and further behind in creativity."
Educators notice that children whose parents read or told stories to them before entering kindergarten have a significant advantage over those who did not, said Marilyn Carpenter, an education professor at Eastern Washington University who specializes in literacy and children's literature.
While reading to children has long been considered beneficial, hearing stories without the aid of a book also proves helpful to a child's development. Twillmann encourages parents to set their books aside and tell stories in their own words, allowing children to use their imaginations to create their own images rather than looking at an artist's illustrations.
"I tell children they'll have a movie in their head," Twillmann said.
Instead of entertaining children with stories and books, too many parents are placing their children in front of the TV, Carpenter said.
"Maybe they are good videos, but they don't replace that experience of sitting on a lap and hearing a story read or a story told," Carpenter said.
Television's intense stimulation has created a stronger need for visuals to grab a child's attention span, said Katie Nordhagen, an employee at the Children's Corner Books & Toys store in River Park Square.
"I think we have a hard time thinking we can paint a good picture with just words," Nordhagen said.
Kay Yates, a Spokane Storytellers League member, recommends impromptu storytelling as a fun alternative to watching TV. Parents or children can weave their own stories to share with the family. As a twist, Yates' family would make storytelling into a game. One person begins telling a story and then passes a stick to the next family member, who continues the tale. A unique story unfolds as the stick passes from person to person.
"With a book in front of you, you see illustrations," Yates said. "If you're hearing a story told to you, it's much more personal."
It is also important for parents to listen to their children's stories, Twillmann said.
"A lot of times if you listen to a story from a child, you find something else they're trying to tell you," Twillmann said.
Rather than using lectures to pass on family values and morals, parents can have a more lasting impact by sharing personal stories with their children.
"People remember stories, not facts," Twillmann said.
Parents can revive storytelling with their children by sharing stories from their family history or their own childhood. And parents need not worry if their childhood lacked excitement and adventure of a Harry Potter novel.
"It doesn't have to be a trip to the moon," Twillmann said. "Children will remember (parents' stories) far beyond that fancy toy you worked overtime to buy them."
Storytelling also bridges generational gaps, helping children connect with their parents and grandparents, Twillmann said.
Carpenter still remembers having her hair braided each morning as a little girl while her grandmother entertained her with stories about her ancestors. She said family stories are important for parents to pass along to their children.
"It gives the child a sense of who they are and where they come from," Carpenter said.
Parents inexperienced with storytelling may believe they do not have the ability or creativity to pull off a good story without the help of a book, but a good story does not always need to be an original.
"Take a story that you're familiar with and tell it in your own words," Nordhagen said. "Then you can relate it to the child's own world and things that they're familiar with."
Carpenter advises parents not to feel self-conscious when telling stories and to tune out the ringing telephone and other distractions to focus solely on their child.
"Go ahead and feel like a fool to yourself, because you're not going to look like a fool to your kids," Nordhagen said. "They're going to love that you're spending time with them."
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