Does your home school family have a “story hour” several times each week? If not, now may be a good time to consider incorporating this wonderful exercise into your weekly routine. Stories have a special way of powerfully communicating important truths and character-building principles in a manner that is difficult to rival. The fact that the Creator often chose to communicate vital truths to the human race through the use of morally laden stories, is a stunning reminder of just how well adapted this medium can be to the work of influencing the human heart.
Stories that combine a healthy balance of meaningful action, moral principle, and human interest are often the ones that will be best suited for young learners. Although some parents or grandparents are capable of creating and telling their own stories, far more adults will be inclined to simply read a story aloud from a book. Either way, the one reading or telling the story will often find it beneficial to present the material in an animated and lively manner. Thanks in part to the television, the attention span of children today tends to be rather short. For this reason, stories that are somewhat longer in length should be read with enthusiasm, as well as sound effects, in order to keep young listeners engaged in the story line.
Home school parents with older children in the house, should consider having them read a portion of the story to the family. This will not only bring variety in to the story hour routine, but it will also help older students to stay engaged in the learning process, while they also strengthen their own vocabulary and pronunciation skills.
In addition, time should be set aside to permit students to ask questions concerning the details of the story that they found interesting. It is often during times of discussion that valuable lessons are transmitted from adults to children. Part of the art of storytelling, therefore, demands that readers spend less time reading or telling a particular story in order that they might leave sufficient time for discussion. It is also good to remember that children commonly enjoy expressing their own opinion regarding the details of a story. For this reason, adults should get in the habit of encouraging their listeners to tell them what they think the moral of the story was centered upon, or perhaps who they thought was the most interesting character.
Audio books can also be helpful in special cases such as long car rides where it is difficult to concentrate on the road and effectively communicate a story to children simultaneously. These audio presentations, however, cannot compete with the warmth and charm of a story read or told by a loved one. In other words, although audio books can be helpful in certain situations, such resources can never replace the dynamic of a real human voice that is capable of interacting with children on a personal level.
Good wholesome stories should not merely be reserved for bedtime or for the period after the dinner hour. Reading or telling stories to children during the school day can often benefit them on a deeper level simply because they are more alert and attentive. In our home school, we have frequently taken the additional step of encouraging our children to create and tell their own stories, so that they might share them with other members of the family during ‘story hour’.
One additional benefit of storytelling that is often overlooked is the fact that this activity can provide a great way for parents to break up the tedium of the day by interspersing stories between difficult subjects. A funny or uplifting story, for example, can do wonders to improve a child’s attitude after a long and grueling math lesson. So stop and smell the roses, or better yet read and discuss good stories, and your journey through home schooling will be the better and brighter for it.
