Family Storytelling

1
Family Storytelling

• Crafting a story from a moment

2
Finding Stories

• Remembering family stories by thinking of
• Family, friends and neighbors
• Places you played, lived and worked
• Special events and challenges in your life
• Looking at family photographs or objects
• Talk/record how other family members recall an
  event

3
Activities that might help

• Make a story map of the place
• Label rooms and parts of the yard
• Draw the main character(s)
• Recall/list tales associated with them
• Draw an object for each story

4
Draw the theme/scene

• First times
• Getting in trouble
• Embarrassing times
• Heroes
• Pets
• School tales
• Adventures
• Traditions, birthdays, celebrations

5
Tell About . . .

• Someone who changed your life
• Family food
• Meeting your true love or your worst
• Your secret life

6
Decide the form

• What will be the beginning
• How will the action build up
• How will the story end
• Think of words that will shape the story
• A good hook to start, last lines to remember,
  details that move the story along

7
Bring Characters Settings To Life

• Describe what you saw, felt, smelt, tasted
• Think of the gestures and ways of speaking that
  make characters unique
• Is there a song, sound or melody that you can use
  to add richness to the story?

8
Techniques that work

• Repetition of sounds, words, or phrases can
  encourage participation, build suspense, stretch
  a scene, or add humor
• Voices can distinguish characters
• Gestures can define a character
• Pacing
• Does your beginning hook the listeners

9
Sources

• Telling Your Own Stories by Donald Davis
• The Family Storytelling Handbook by Anne
  Pellowski
• Your family