Why Tell Stories in School?
Every lover of children knows that a good story, well told, is a source
of the purest joy; but while this of itself is sufficient reason for
story-telling in the home and in the nursery, it is not sufficient reason
for general story-telling in the school. Happiness is a powerful ally of
successful work, but it never should be substituted for the work itself;
it may well be made one of the means of attainment, but never the object
to be attained. Useful service is a far higher ideal than personal
happiness, and it should be the ideal held before the child who enters
school.
As all educational methods have for their ultimate object that of making
the child of today the good neighbor, the true friend, the useful citizen
of tomorrow, so we have a right to question the recent and growing demand
for story-telling in our schools. What is its object? Does this object
aid in the ultimate end to be attained?
First of all let us consider the well-recognized fact that through
story-telling a teacher may come into so close and happy a relationship
with her pupils that they will respond to her suggestions and be molded
by her influence to a degree not easily attainable by any other means. A
story may be told as a means of restoring order in a roomful of restless
children, or when some untoward occurrence has brought the tension of
school discipline dangerously near to the breaking point. This use of the
timely, the appropriate, story is worthy of consideration by teachers far
beyond the primary grades.
Stories may be used as an aid to language work. The diffident,
self-conscious child who cannot be induced to talk upon the ordinary
topics of school work, can be aroused into forgetfulness of self and made
to respond with growing animation to questions regarding a story that has
awakened his interest. A “point of contact” may be established with even
the dullest child if his interests are studied and the right story chosen
for telling. Sometimes the story may need to be improvised to fit the
occasion. A story chosen, or especially written to meet the need of some
particular child, has in more than one instance influenced his whole
after life.
Lessons of unselfishness, of thoughtfulness, of cleanliness, of
patriotism, of obedience—of all the characteristics which we wish to
cultivate in the children—may be impressed by means of stories. This
field of story-telling should begin in the home, but it may well extend
on into the school room.
A love of nature and of out-door life may be strengthened by stories of
birds and animals, of trees and of plant life, thus leading naturally to
essays and poems upon the same subjects for later reading.
The funny story has its legitimate place in the school room, although
there are teachers who would as soon think of introducing a bit of fun
into a church service as into a school session. But fun is a wonderful
lubricant, and there are times when a funny story will oil up the
pedagogical machinery as nothing else could.
In the more advanced grades stories may be used to awaken an interest
in history, both local and general, ancient and modern. Nothing better
can be devised for making the dry bones of names and dates take on life,
than the telling of an interesting story of the time and the characters
of the lesson. Such stories should not be told as an end in themselves,
but as a means to an end—the awakening of interest in historical subjects
by giving life and reality to historical characters.
In the same manner an interest in the works of the best authors may be
aroused by telling the story of one character in a book, or by telling
part of the story of a book and leaving it at an interesting point.
There are many children, boys especially, who leave school after passing
through the seventh or eighth grade. If they have not formed a taste
for good literature, their reading after leaving school is likely to be
without value if it is not positively injurious. One of the surest means
of leading such boys to read and enjoy good books lies in the hands of
the teachers of these grades. Let her tell stories from Dickens, from
Scott, from Cooper, from Stevenson; let her tell stories from local
history, general history; stories of discovery, of science, and of art.
Let her make these things attractive, and show her pupils where more of
the same fascinating material may be found.
So thoroughly is the value of this class of story-telling understood that
progressive librarians throughout the country are having “story hours” at
the libraries for the purpose of reaching boys of this age and bringing
them into closer touch with the treasures of the library shelves.
Teachers in districts having any large percentage of boys of this class
can accomplish far-reaching results by devoting some portion of each
week, at least, to telling stories having this special end in view.
With the foregoing objects—a sympathetic understanding between teacher
and pupils, better discipline, help for the self-conscious and the
“dull” pupil, character lessons, the development of a love of nature,
an interest in history and in good literature—all attainable through
story-telling, there remains little ground for question as to the
work coinciding in its results with the ultimate object of our common
school education. But let the teacher have a definite object in her
story-telling. Let her use this new-old art as a means of arousing her
pupils to action, to achievement. A story told in school should not be
offered as a sugary, educational confection which will destroy the taste
for solid food, but as a spicy condiment to whet the appetite for a
substantial feast.