When our twenty-two-year-old son
was tiny – babyhood through about fourth grade – his mother and I shared stories
with him every night (and often during the day). She and I traded off, taking
full advantage of a household featuring two present parents, something neither
she nor I had as children. Among many other books, she read him the entire
Harry Potter series; I read him several less well-known series and quite a few
standalone tales. I also made up stories, often enlisting his help for the
details. One of those stories I actually eventually turned into a book.
Even though I already knew it, it’s
nice to know that, according to Paul L. Underwood at the New York Times, we did good. As our recently
college-graduate filmmaker son is home during the pandemic, in the same house
in which we introduced the magic and power of storytelling, I feel grateful we
established deep, unshakable bonds via this timeless practice. As much in the
world seems uncertain, I take sustenance from that knowledge.
READ MORE: Create a bedtime routine for your child
If any young parent ever asks me
for advice, I rarely feel as confident suggesting something as I do regarding the
sharing of bedtime stories. With those, you can’t go wrong. Apparently, science
backs me up.
Underwood’s article offers helpful
storytelling suggestions, culled from experts and professional storytellers. Although
he stresses their extreme importance, he focuses not on books, but on oral
storytelling. According to the article: “Storytelling and reading work best in
tandem to help children develop language and story comprehension, just as you
want your child eating a balanced meal.”
Regarding storytelling, first and
foremost are the three P’s: pitch, pacing, and pausing. Varying the sound of
the voice, speeding up, slowing down, and taking time to insert breaks in the
action. What becomes clear is how much children will innately fill in details
when given an opportunity. Underwood suggests Aesop’s fables, or even a story
from your own childhood, because apparently, it’s normal for children to have no
concept that their parents were once children.
Here’s to the telling of bedtime
stories, no matter what the world is doing outside.
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