Oral storytelling is a rich tradition in the human race, and an important aspect of the curriculum at Rainbow Mountain. Reading stories from books is valuable, but when a someone tells a story orally something magical happens. They storyteller has no book between her heart and the children, so she is sharing openly, without any barriers. The children are not distracted by trying to see the pages or photos, nor can they rely on the photos to tell the story. This increases their listening skills and their imagination, as they create their own pictures in their heads. Oral storytelling is an important precurser to reading for very young children, as it helps them develop comprehension and plot development.
Ruth Shackelton is our storyteller at Rainbow Mountain Children’s School. She tells a story almost every day to one of the classes. Teachers often ask her to introduce a unit with a story. For example, at the beginning of the author’s unit in second grade (when students write and illustrate their own books) she tells a story about the first time humans communicated in “writing.” Her repertoire of stories is endless, and her storytelling style rivots the children’s attention. (See all eyes on Ruth in the photo above).
