Inviting Storytelling into Your Homeschool or Classroom

In 2020 I put together these resources for the Northeast Storytelling organization. I recently updated all of the links and added some new resources

Every storyteller knows how effective stories are in the classroom, complementing every aspect of the core curriculum and learning style. As a teaching artist and professional storyteller, I have taught over eight hundred children the art of Oral Tradition for the past twenty-four years and witnessed firsthand how valuable it is for my students. It has augmented their learning in a variety of ways:

• improved their writing skills
• enhanced their vocabulary
• increased their cultural knowledge
• sparked their imaginations
• strengthened their self-confidence
• developed positive interaction with their peers 

Many of my students continue to use story and storytelling in diverse areas of their classroom work, in elementary, high school, college and into the business arena. It is a lifelong skill that will always serve them well.

Whether a child is learning remotely this year or has returned to the classroom, I hope you will consider merging storytelling into your activities, both to enlighten and entertain.  

CURRICULUM RESOURCES

ABC Teach - Several ideas and links for story writing prompts on a variety of subjects and age levels.
https://www.abcteach.com/resources/

Aesop and Ananse: Animal Fables and Trickster Tales – These lesson plans students will help students “become familiar with fables and trickster tales from different cultural traditions…”
https://www.lessonplanet.com/teachers/aesop-and-ananse-animal-fables-and-trickster-tales

Dragons and Fairy Tales in Science Class – “Using stories as a hook to grab students’ attention leads them to deep engagement with scientific concepts.”
https://www.edutopia.org/article/dragons-and-fairy-tales-science-class/

Education World.com - Lesson plans on Ten Characters from American Folklore, Pecos Bill, Daniel Boone, Johnny Appleseed, and more.
https://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp279-04.shtml

Exploring World Cultures Through Folk Tales - Students will gain an appreciation of other cultures as they read and research folktales from around the world and present their story and research to the class.
https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/exploring-world-cultures-through  

Fables and Trickster Tales Around the World - Lesson plans, information and stories, everything you need to introduce your students to those globe-trotting tricksters, Anansi, Brer Rabbit, Fox, and Rabbit.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED478844.pdf

Fractured Fairytales – “This interactive tool gives students a choice of three fairy tales to read. They are then guided to choose a variety of changes, which they use to compose a fractured fairy tale to print off and illustrate. Useful for teaching point of view, setting, plot, as well as fairy tale conventions …this tool encourages students to use their imaginations and the writing process at the same time.”
https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/fractured-fairy-tales

Guiding Students to Use Storytelling Across the Curriculum – “Teachers in any subject can have students use storytelling techniques to demonstrate learning, and these story generation strategies can help them get started.”
https://www.edutopia.org/article/storytelling-framework-learning/

How to Tell Great Stories in the Classroom
https://www.trevormuir.com/blog/how-to-tell-great-stories-in-the-classroom

Kennedy Center - "Lesson plans, activities, and other resources that focus on telling stories through theater, music, dance, writing, and visual arts."
https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/collections/collections/storytelling/

Learning Math by Seeing It as a Story – “An English teacher co-teaching trigonometry asked students to explain an equation to a child and to turn discrete problems into a story.”
https://www.edutopia.org/article/learning-math-seeing-it-story/

MathsThroughstories.org – This site offers book, lesson plans, how-to books, research articles and more to combine math and story!
https://www.mathsthroughstories.org/

PBS Storytelling: Oral Traditions
Note: If you use the search tool on this site and type the word storytelling, you will find a plethora or articles and videos on the art of Oral Tradition.
https://mass.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/echo07.lan.stories.lporaltrad/storytelling-oral-traditions/ 

Story Elements Alive! English Language Arts – “After working collaboratively, students engage in independent activities such as completing a character map; a setting illustration; a problem/solution chart; a beginning, middle, and ending activity; and a story map.”
https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/story-elements-alive

Storytelling and the Common Core Standards - If you are seeking information on how storytelling connects with the Common Core, YES (Youth, Education and Storytellers) offers a comprehensive, downloadable document full of information to make your case.
https://storynet.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/STandCCS-June2012.pdf

Storytelling and Drama – Carol Read shares how to “incorporate story-based lessons and drama activities into the English-language classroom.”
https://www.onestopenglish.com/stories-and-poems/storytelling-and-drama/156981.article

Storytelling in the Social Studies Classroom – “Students tell their own stories and explore the stories of other Americans. Hearing and telling these stories helps students realize that social studies is not simply the study of history, but an exploration of real people and their lives.”
https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/storytelling-social-studies-classroom

ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS

Developing Student Storytelling Skills to Set Up Future Career Success – “Anthropologists have long understood that storytelling helps us engage with others, share emotions, and find common ground through personal experiences. It’s a part of our makeup as humans.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rodberger/2019/10/04/developing-student-storytelling-skills-to-set-up-future-career-success/

How Stories Connect and Persuade Us: Unleashing The Brain Power of Narrative
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/04/11/815573198/how-stories-connect-and-persuade-us-unleashing-the-brain-power-of-narrative

National Council Teachers of English: Teaching Storytelling Position Statement
“Story is the best vehicle for passing on factual information. Historical figures and events linger in children’s minds when communicated by way of a narrative. The facts about how plants and animals develop, how numbers work, or how government policy influences history—any topic, for that matter—can be incorporated into story form…”
https://ncte.org/statement/teaching-storytelling-position-statements/

Storytelling in the First Three Years – An important article from The National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families. In part it states, “The richer the repertoire of storytelling styles a child is exposed to, the more possibilities for that child to develop his or her own powerful narrative voice…” There are additional resources on literacy, play, brain development and more.
https://www.zerotothree.org/resource/storytelling-in-the-first-three-years/

Storytelling, Story Acting and Literacy in the Boston Public Schools – Fascinating interview about the program, Boston Listens, “based on Vivian Paley’s innovative storytelling and story-acting approach.”
https://www.museumofplay.org/app/uploads/2022/03/6-2-interview-storytelling-story-acting-and-literacy_0.pdf

Twelve Way to Integrate Storytelling in the Classroom – “Storytelling is a powerful method of communication… Following a character on a journey of exploration, empathizing with the character’s problem, yearning for a solution, and reveling in the outcome helps to shape our mental state.”
https://vhlblog.vistahigherlearning.com/twelve-ways-to-integrate-storytelling-in-the-classroom.html

What Makes Storytelling So Effective For Learning? - Harvard Business Impact
https://www.harvardbusiness.org/insight/what-makes-storytelling-so-effective-for-learning/

BOOKS TO COMPLEMENT THE CLASSROOM CURRICULUM

Easy to Read Folktale Plays to Teach Conflict Resolution
Easy-to-read Folktale Plays To Teach Conflict Resolution - Hollenbeck, Kathleen M: 9780439249874 - AbeBooks

Science Through Storytelling: Strategies for the K-5 Classroom
https://www.powells.com/book/science-with-storytelling-strategies-for-the-k-5-classroom-9780786498185 

The Storytelling Classroom- Applications Across the Curriculum
https://www.abebooks.com/Storytelling-Classroom-Applications-Across-Curriculum-Norfolk/32328199654/bd

Story by Story: Creating a School Storytelling Troupe & Making the Common Core Exciting 
https://www.parkhurstbrothers.com/story-by-story.html

Super Simple Storytelling: A Can-Do Guide for Every Classroom, Every Day
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/super-simple-storytelling-kendall-haven/1149277036

Teaching with Story: Classroom Connections to Storytelling
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/teaching-with-story-margaret-read-macdonald/1114982677

Write Right: Creative Storytelling Techniques
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/write-right-kendall-haven/1132780381

STORIES

Looking for stories to share with your children? These three websites will lead the way.

Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts – By far one of the most comprehensive sites on folklore and mythology from around the world. The tales are numerous and grouped alphabetically by genre.
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html

Storybug Blog – This is my own blog where you will find thousands of stories on almost any culture, theme, subject, and holiday.
https://karenchace.blogspot.com/

SOMETHING EXTRA

Drama Source – Created for drama teachers but there are games, strategies and lesson plans for parents and teachers alike.
https://dramaresource.com/

Education World.com - Fourteen icebreakers to make the first day of school run smooth as silk. They would be fun to use throughout the year as well. https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/strategy/strategy001.shtml

Learning Together: Educational Resources – Art, Music, Math and More – This is a blog filled with resources I put together when we first moved into remote learning. Lots of terrific information here.
https://karenchace.blogspot.com/2020/03/learning-together-educational-resources.html

 

 

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace, and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links. At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

 

Karen Chace 2026 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper, is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com  or karenchace.stories@gmail.com .  Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page, or Twitter please feel free to do so; I appreciate your support and personal integrity.

 

Forging a New Frontier

I wrote this article for the National Storytelling Magazine in 2008. I came across it today in my files and thought I would share it here in the hopes it might inspire other storytellers to say “yes” to a request that helps them stretch their storytelling skills. 

Forging a New Frontier © 
by Karen Chace

The call came a week before Christmas. I was contacted by Anne, Vice President of a local Massachusetts company; plans for their 75^th anniversary celebration were underway and they wanted a storyteller to write and perform their story. She shared some of the details and their vision for the evening.  She wanted it to be fun, upbeat and entertaining. I was intrigued. I can do this!

Then I asked the million-dollar question. “When is the celebration taking place?”  “In two weeks,” came the reply. The answer rocked me back on my heels. Only two weeks to interview, research, write and learn the piece? Can I really do this? I was doubtful and shared my concerns. She assured me the employees would be writing letters about their corporate experiences. They were compiling a book to present to the founders’ sons during the celebration; she would forward their letters to assist me in creating the piece. My mind ping-ponged back again. Okay, yes, I can do this!

Then I watched the first week slip away.  With the holiday rush upon us, the letters arrived at a painstakingly slow pace. The letters offered professional snapshots of the business, and I discovered a common thread, the respect employees at every tier held for the founders and each other. Yet critical elements were missing — there were no personal vignettes that would bring this story to life. What were the founders like beyond their office walls? During the past decades, surely there were some light-hearted moments, challenges faced, tales of camaraderie, and kindnesses that are the heart of what makes a company not only succeed, but flourish for 75 years.

I read the letters again, searching for something to latch onto and found buried within them, two teasers that begged further explanation. One person wrote, “I remember the time the roof collapsed.” Another reminisced, “I remember the nickname Speedo.” There had to be stories behind those casual, off-hand remarks!                                                                   

With one week left, I pleaded with Anne for more information. “Put me in touch with those who know the timeline of the company, both professional and personal.”  I compiled a list of questions and sent them to those who submitted the letters, hoping they would respond with some personal memories. 

The next day the president of the company phoned. We talked for hours; he shared a detailed timeline from the company’s inception during the Great Depression to the present day. I inquired about the roof collapse and found out it was indeed a great story! I questioned him about the mysterious Speedo as well. Laughingly, he admitted he was the owner of that mysterious moniker; his company cohorts bestowed it upon him after a hard-fought swimming race at the company picnic long before he carried the title of president. 

Conversations with other employees followed; I cautiously prodded for personal tidbits, and the stories began to flow. I soon realized that while the interview questions were important, the best tools were my own two ears. As I listened intently and let them freely talk, rare gems in the form of memories began to fall from their lips, reminiscent of the folktale Diamonds and Toads.

Once the pieces were gathered, the question of how to frame the story came into play. Anne wanted to keep it light and funny, but the president was very specific about the many important names and events he wanted mentioned. With less than a week to spare, I felt like I was lost in the woods without a compass. 

I kept trying to find a way to give it a folktale feel; I did not want it to be merely a recitation of facts.  Finally, a single sentence in one of the letters sparked an idea. Years ago, an important client offered the owners another business to represent, but only on one condition— cease working with their competitor or they would take their business elsewhere. The fateful scene was described as “The day two men came in wearing black hats…" Instantly, a Tall Tale with a western theme popped into my head. But how could I tie it all together? 

Since the company began in 1932, I researched that year; it was one of the worst years of the Great Depression. I had my opening! I juxtaposed the difficulties of the Depression with the hardships of the Wild West, comparing the founders to cowboys in search of new frontiers. I continued to research, gathering facts and jargon that would link the western theme with the business story and found that cowboys lived by their own set of unwritten rules known as the Code of the West. 

The Code was a perfect analogy for the relationship the founders forged with their employees and clients through the years.
 

• Welcome strangers
• Honesty is absolute
• Your word is your bond
• Always help someone in need
• Live by the Golden Rule

Using the timeline provided by the president, I separated the story into decades, weaving the important names and client information with comical vignettes gathered from the interviews. 

I completed the story with only one day to spare, a day devoted to practicing the tale I would deliver the next evening. The room was overflowing with people dressed in their finest as the Boston skyline shimmered in the distance. An overwhelming nervousness washed over me. How would the story be received? But as I began, conversations stopped, eyes focused and their body language spoke the silent words we all love to hear, “I am listening.” At the end of the performance, the greatest compliment was spoken silently as well — when the Chairman of the Board rose to shake my hand, there were tears in his eyes.

Karen Chace 2026 ©

This blog post was written by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper, is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com  or karenchace.stories@gmail.com .  Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I appreciate your support and personal integrity.