Raising Voices: Creating Youth Storytelling Groups and Troupes

by Judy Sima, Kevin D. Cordi

Overview

Anyone who wants to start a youth storytelling group or troupe will find a wealth of practical information and inspiration in this guide. Written by two veteran storytellers and storytelling group leaders, this book takes you step by step through the entire process of planning, starting, managing, and growing your storytelling group-even up through taking the show on the road. Complete instructions for teaching storytelling skills and performing are accompanied by dozens of reproducible activities and practical tips-from how to recruit members and how to adapt stories for telling to what to wear when performing, and fundraising ideas. Storytelling is a powerful teaching and learning tool. It increases literacy and language skills, builds creativity and imagination, instills confidence, encourages cooperation and collaboration-and it's great fun for everyone! Share the gift of storytelling with young people and watch them grow. Grades 4-12.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781563089190
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/30/2003
Pages:	270
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.57(d)
Age Range:	9 - 17 Years

About the Author

JUDY SIMA, Media Specialist for more than 30 years, is the Michigan State Liaison to the National Storytelling Network.

KEVIN CORDI, the first full-time high school storytelling teacher in the country, is co-chair of the National Storytelling Networks Youth Storytelling Special Interest Group. His program has received the National Service Award from the National Storytelling Network.

Table of Contents

Contents
List of Reproduciblesix
Acknowledgmentsxi
Storyteller ’s Pledgexiii
Introductionxv
Section I:Getting Started
Chapter 1:Initial Preparations 3
Defining Your Goals and Objectives 3
Finding a Time and Place to Meet 6
Recruiting Students 7
Organizing the Space 11
Gathering Supplies 12
Chapter 2:Let the Meetings Begin 15
Creating a Safe Environment 15
Establishing Rules 16
Structuring the Meetings 17
Choosing a Name for Your Group 20
Establishing a Schedule 21
First Meeting Agenda 21
Meeting Formats 25
Section II:Growing Your Storytelling Group
Chapter 3a:Teaching Storytelling Skills: Getting Ready to Tell Stories 33
Storytellers ’ Bingo 33
Storytelling Scavenger Hunt 42
Hello Bingo 45
Meet My Friend 48
I Am, I Can, I Like, I Hope 50
Academy Awards Acceptance Speech 51
“Me” Story Bags 52
Partner Storytelling 54
Hot Seat 57
Toy Stories 59
Magic Key 61
Chain or Circle Storytelling 61
Chapter 3b:Teaching Storytelling Skills: The Story Learning Process 65
Step 1. Choose It: Choosing a Story to Tell 68
Step 2. Read It: Reading the Story Aloud 70
Step 3. Picture It: Drawing, Outlining, or Mapping the Story 71
Step 4. Imagine It: Visualizing or Imagining the Story 75
Step 5. Practice It: Rehearsing the Story 76
Step 6. Tell It: Telling the Story to an Audience 77
vvi Contents
Chapter 4a:Strengthening Storytelling Skills: Advanced Activities 83
Rotation Station 83
Virginia Reel 85
Exaggeration Station 87
All Hands Down 88
Emotions Circle 89
Pass the Mask 91
Excuses, Excuses 92
Tall Tale 93
Good News-Bad News 94
To Get or “Mother May I …”95Drawing from a Description 96
Chapter 4b:Strengthening Storytelling Skills: Activities for Adapting and Creating Stories 101
Crafting Adapted and Original Stories for Performance 102
Bare Bones Fables 103
Five Times Three: Audience Participation 106
Telling Your Own Story 111
Personal Encounter with an Animal 113
Point of View 114
Crazy Mixed-Up Fairy Tales 116
A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words 117
Chapter 5:Coaching: Guiding the Youth Storyteller 121
What Is Coaching? 121What Coaching Is Not 122
The Rules of Coaching 123
The Atmosphere of Coaching 124
Three Styles of Coaching 125
Developing Your Coaching Skills 126
Chapter 6:Nurturing the Group 129
Keeping Students Motivated 129
Levels of Achievement 130
Finding Role Models and Coaches 133
Dealing with Problem Situations 134
Section III:Performing and Beyond
Chapter 7:Telling the Tales 141
Are We Ready? 141Using a Microphone 142
Field Trip/Performance Checklist 142
Rules of the Road 148
Silent Signals 149
Then Let ’s Get Set 151
Dressing the Part 151
Choosing Stories 151
Group Chant 152
Contents vii
Puppets, Props, and Instruments 154
Warm-Up Exercises 155
Master of Ceremonies (or Maestro)156And Off We Go!157Public Performances 157
Places to Tell 160
Gift of Reading 161
Youth Storytelling Exchange 162
Family Storytelling Festival 164
National Storytelling Youth Olympics 165
Home Again 166
Evaluating the Performance 166
Thank You Letters 167
Wrapping Things Up 168
Planning For The Future 170
National Youth Storytelling Pegasus Awards 171
Chapter 8:Creating a Traveling Troupe 173
Creating a Troupe Identity 174
Initiation into the Troupe 175
Scheduling Separate Meetings 175
Assigning Leadership Roles 175
Provide Storytelling Opportunities 176
Troupe and Leadership 176
Chapter 9:Raising Funds While Telling Stories 179
Establishing Rates 181
Taking the Show on the Road 182
Telling for Civic Service Groups 182
Schools and Day-Care Centers 182
Country Fairs or Special Community Events 182
Conferences and Conventions 183
The Public Library 183
Retirement Homes and Senior Centers 183
Camps and Outdoor Programs 183
Bringing the Audience to You 184
Tellabration and Youth Tellabration 184
Special Programs to Promote Literacy 184
Storytelling Festival 184
Renaissance Dinner 185
Ghost Story Program in a Haunted House 185
Ethnic or Cultural Festival 185
Additional Programs to Provide Funding 185
Mime-a-Thon 185
Book and Story Drive 185
Story Delivery Service or “Story-A-Gram”186Personal Story Program 186
viii Contents
Section IV:Storytelling Resources
Building a Storytelling Collection187Bibliography 188
Categories 189
Storytelling Theory, Practice, and How-To Guides 189
Storytelling Collections 193
Single Stories 206
Sources for Puppets, Props, and Instruments 214
Audio and Videocassettes 215
Storytelling Web Sites 216
Storytelling Organizations 217
Publishers and Distributors Specializing in Storytelling Books and Tapes 219
Appendix:Youthful Voices 221
Index 233
About the Authors 241

Editorial Reviews

A unique and reliable blueprint for beginning and sustaining a successful group or troupe of storytellers from grades 4 to 12. (A group is defined as three or more youths "who gather to tell stories," whereas a troupe is defined as three or more individuals "who travel as storytelling performers.") Even though the authors work with young people in the school setting, their organizational ideas and applications are equally suitable for community groups. Sima and Cordi cover everything from the preparation for the first meeting of the group through the teaching and then honing of skills to the actual performances that may start in classrooms in the local school and could grow to community (and even national) events. The book includes reproducible forms that will save a lot of work and lists of valuable resources. Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss's Children Tell Stories (Richard C. Owen, 1990) and Stories in My Pocket (Fulcrum, 1996) are important for storytelling collections for youngsters, but Raising Voices is the complete, and essential, handbook for this special group of storytellers.-Judy Sokoll, Florida Storytelling Association, Naples Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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