Storytelling in the ECD Classroom

by Allen Murray and Sandra Beckman

The following article provides some thoughts on the use of storytelling in Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs. Author Allen Murray is a Yukon College ECD instructor who uses a traditional storyteller in his Foundations of Early Childhood Education class. Co-author Sandra Beckman is coordinator of the ECD program at Yukon College.

The instructor can enhance the story for both the student and the storyteller by creating a suggestive environment or using one or two props that the individual's imagination can lock on to. For example, for Allen Murray's first class in Foundations of Early Childhood Education, he invites a traditional storyteller to tell the creation story from her oral history. He sets the stage by using simple props to simulate a cave. The room is darkened and a makeshift fire pit is placed in the centre of the room. Students enter the room by walking through a short tunnel constructed of tarps and blankets. They are welcomed into "the first classroom" -- a cave in France over 7,000 years ago.

Technology is increasingly replacing human art forms and interactions. As technology takes over the role of storyteller, we realize that the story told by technology is hollow because it doesn't allow for alternative thinking. The visual images are given to us -- our thoughts are programmed! There is also a clear cut beginning, middle and end. On the other hand, most traditional stories are never finished -- their time limit is not 30 minutes, one hour, a mini-series or a season. That is because traditional stories mirror real life -- they are open-ended, they change and grow, and they broaden and spread with the families and communities they represent.

As instructors, we can model the role of the storyteller to enhance our program, theme or topic. Different stories can be used for different purposes. Traditionally, stories promoted social values. Historically, they informed communities about what was happening in the rest of the world. As teachers of young children or adults, we can use storytelling as a tool to strengthen our teaching. But remember that the story is one of several tools -- be careful not to overuse it.

Treat the story and the storyteller with respect. In traditional times, the storyteller was paid because preparing for each story required a great deal of training, materials and time. Today, some stories are still sacred and the property of the family community. If you approach a traditional storyteller with a particular story or theme in mind, make sure that it can be used at your centre or in your classroom. Stories are made very special for the children when they are told by a good storyteller. Of course, some of the best storytellers are not professional. But, if you are fortunate enough to have a professional storyteller in your area, you will be able to see how he/she uses the story as an art form and is highly respected in the community.

Ninety to ninety-five per cent of what children learn by the time they are adults is not from books, school or church curriculum. Children learn by mirroring the most consistent patterns presented to them. They become what we are. We are the curriculum. Children are open to process, not always to content. In our classroom, we teach students how to convey concepts using process and guided imagery. The storyteller also takes advantage of this process orientation. The storyteller can use voice and gestures and act out the story for the enjoyment of the listener. The story is metaphoric as the storyteller creates alternate realities.

In the cave scene described earlier in the Foundations of Early Childhood Education class, we needed to help students identify and understand their relationship to history and the history of the world. We used the past to talk about the present and implicate the future. It was necessary to have a starting point that was safe and comfortable for all students. The farther back in history one goes, the easier it is to find a starting point with which all ages, backgrounds, races and religions can identify. By presenting the cave scene and using the storyteller, we validated: that the past did exist; and that education as a process could be located in this past. The cave-like environment and the storyteller helped students move from the concrete to the symbolic.

Education is more than facts. The meaning of education often isn't dealt with -- students may get an education, yet not understand the value of it or how to use it! The story as a processing tool helps give meaning to the learning. Allan closes his Foundations of Early Childhood Education class with a short poem that has been credited to a number of sources:

He drew a circle that shut me out
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout
But love and I had the wit to win
We drew a circle that took him in.

The Tlingit Indian people have lived in southeast (or panhandle) part of Alaska, in northwest British Columbia, and the southwest Yukon for thousands of years. They have a very special and rich history, and many wonderful stories that tell us about what they believe in and who they are as a people. Their stories make the birds and animals come alive like real people because the Tlingit believe that living things on the earth are there for a reason and have their own special powers. For them, the Raven is the most powerful and special of all living things because he is the one, they believe, who created the earth and all the wonderful things on it. Here is one of their stories about Raven.

Legend of Creation
(For children of all ages.)

The smartest one in the whole world was Raven. But rightly so, for did he not create all things? There was the time he made land, for instance. Hear how he managed it by his cunning.

It all began when he was flying over the big waters and saw a beautiful mermaid swimming so gracefully upon the emeral deep. Raven, clever bird, fell in love with the mermaid at once and decided to pledge his faithfulness to her.

He swooped down to speaking distance and put the question. The mermaid was friendly to his attentions but before her consent was given, she make one condition for Raven to meet. "If you will make me some land so I can sit on the beach and dry my hair, I will marry you," she said.

Raven agreed to her request and left the scene to make some land. As capable as he was, he knew he would have to have some help for such an ambitious undertaking. After pondering the matter, he decided to enlist the services of a seal. He found a seal swimming in the warm waters.

"Mr. Seal," said Raven. "I need some sand from the bottom of the sea. Will you get me some?" Raven was too subtle to tell Seal what he meant to do with the sand.

"I will have to ask Frog for the sand," said Seal.

"If you will approach Mr. Frog about the sand, I will do a favour for both of you," said Raven.

"Oh," said Seal. "I'd like to have a nice fur coat instead of these slimey scales. Then I could swim in the coldest water and keep warm."

"You shall have a fur coat when you get me the sand," said Raven.

Seal was off at once to the bottom of the sea. Here he found Mr. Frog, who had been listening to the conversation above and had been calculating just what favour he could ask Mr. Raven in return for the sand.

When Seal approached him, Frog said, "I know what you want. Tell that sly old raven that if he expects me to let him have my sand he will have to make me Keeper of the Earth's Treasures, once and for all."

Seal was amazed with such a request, but he delivered Frog's message to Raven who was anxiously waiting for it.

"Well, what did Frog say?" questioned Raven.

"He wants you to make him Keeper of the Earth's Treasures," said the Seal.

"That's asking a lot," retorted Raven, "but tell Mr. Frog that for a generous portion of the sand, he can have stewardship of all the earth's treasures."

The Seal was off again to the bottom of the sea, regretting that he hadn't asked for more than just a fur coat.

Frog filled an old frogskin with sand and gave it to the Seal.

As soon as Raven had the sand, he flew high into the air where the wind was blowing the strongest. Into the wind he cast the grains of sand, which, when scattered to the four corners of the world, what do you think happened? Every place a grain of sand fell into the sea, an island was formed, some large and some small, according to the sizes of the grains of sand. [The Alaskan Indians, of course, did not know about the great continents beyond the sea, but were only familiar with the countless islands in the Northern Pacific Ocean.]

Did Seal get his fur coat and Mr. Frog his trust and Raven the hand of the beautiful mermaid in marriage? Oh, yes, indeed. When the mermaid had dried her hair, for the first time in her life, on the sand beach of one of the islands, the mermaid and Raven were married.

Seal, in his new fur coat was a witness, and Frog, ever since that day, has been the custodian of the earth's treasures. From the union of Raven and the mermaid came the powerful Raven Tribe of Alaska.

This story is reprinted from Fun & Games, Songs & Stories, a Reproducible Activity Manual for Kids by the Ya Dak Du Hidi Childcare Centre in Carcross, Yukon.

This article first appeared in Interaction Fall, 1995 published by the the Canadian Child Care Federation

Posted by: the Canadian Child Care Federation, September 1996.

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