Spinning a yarn to ignite young minds
Jamshedpur, July 10 : In this age of electronic gizmos, with children getting glued to different gadgets the power of storytelling is often overlooked.
However helping children get an extra learning boost by telling stories themselves,Jamshedpur-based several young women have taken on the challenge to develop the skills of storytelling.
Taking the lead, The Story Munch has embarked on a journey to revive the art of oral storytelling. Brainchild of Richa Sinha, TheStoryMunchis a theatrical creative storytelling venture.
�We intend to revive the art of oral storytelling in the vibrant city of Jamshedpur. We also incorporate public speaking, elocution, theatre, role plays, creative writing and story art to motivate people, boost confidence, instill values towards making critical thinkers and change agents,� said Richa Sinha. She went on to inform that the sessions are conducted at various centresincluding Baug-E-Jamsheed School. Storytelling sessions are also conducted for entire family member at parks and other public places.
�Storytelling is the need of the hour. The best way to preserve culture and tradition, propagate values and wisdom. We take sessions for kids as young as 3 years who along with their parents participate in storytelling sessions,� said Sinha.
TheStoryMunch helps students develop their own storytelling talents, apply the techniques of storytelling, create storytelling guides, and perform a story for an audience.
Thirty-five-year old Priya Gandhi, who conducts classes at her residence in Sakchi said that the stories are most powerful means of communication. They teach lessons of life, the values. Telling stories is a large part of what makes people connected to each other. �We teach kidsto intricate tale with their voice. Using facial expressions, gestures and even props we develop skills,� she informed.
City-based philanthropist, DivyaTaneja, who daughter Maya has been a regularly attending story sessions said that oral storytelling itself is a great way to improve children’s oral fluency and help them understand concepts that underpin literacy and literature.
�While I advocate for reading to children from when they are babes, I also believe it’s important to tell our kids stories. For a start, this shows them how to tell stories and they can use parents’ and grandparents’ tales as models for their own storytelling. It’s also an important way to transmit our family’s culture. Children love to hear stories about family events, about what Daddy did when he was little, or about the day mom caught her first fish,� said Taneja.