It’s the way I tell ‘em!

The best teacher storytellers have the vocal skills of Judy Dench and can match Rowan Atkinson when it comes to facial gymnastics, but it’s not an easy art to master, says Sue Cowley...

It’s my first teaching practice. So far I have been working with small groups, helping the children complete activities the teacher has set, and trying out some of my own. And then the moment arrives. The teacher asks me: “Are you ready to work with the whole class now?”

“Yes,” I answer, swallowing nervously, and wondering what she will ask me to do.

“Don’t look so nervous,” she says, smiling, “I only want you to read them a story.”

Oh. Read a story. What could be simpler?

I do okay for my first attempt, but as I near the end of the story, I notice that one little girl has dozed off. Other children are more interested in examining the contents of their noses than in listening to the contents of the book. Some are staring off into the distance, perhaps entranced by my story reading skills, but more likely wondering when the home-time bell will ring.

‘Read a story’: at first glance, so simple; in truth, a surprisingly tricky teaching skill to master.

Get story reading right and your children will listen, entranced, as you weave magic with your voice. You will spark their imaginations and help them build a love of books. And you will show them how reading is the key to unlocking a world of wonder and knowledge.

Get story reading wrong, however, and there may be shouts of “This story is boring!” or “Have you finished yet?”. You will be faced with a mass outbreak of fidgeting and, if you’re not careful, story time may rapidly disintegrate into The Battle of the Unkind Hands.

Over the years I have discovered a lot about how to get story time right. The first technique you must learn is ‘how to be willing to make a fool of yourself’. The more you exaggerate the characters, the voices, the rhythm, the wonder, the shock, the horror – the better your children will be able to focus on and understand the story. Your voice must pitch low for the grumpy giants or growling wolves, and pitch high for the squeaky pigs or fearful princesses. Your eyes must narrow for the mysterious discovery; your eyebrows shoot up for the shocking denouement. You must learn to scribble a tale of wonder with every movement of your face or subtle adaptation of your voice. Rather than being a sign of age, the wrinkles on my face are battle scars of a career spent bringing stories to life – or so I like to think.

The next technique you must grasp is ‘how to read to your class, whilst simultaneously reading your class’. What I mean is this – as you read, you must sense the levels of focus and engagement of your children. Are they listening intently, do they look entranced? Or is their attention beginning to wander? If you notice your children zoning out, learn how to throw a curve ball. When you’re faced with an outbreak of yawning as the monkey climbs yet another tree, get everyone to jump up and climb as though they are monkeys too. If the story has repeated phrases, or lends itself to panto-style audience participation, get your children to join in – “There’s no such thing as a Gruffalo!”. (A subset of this particular skill is: ‘how to skip over the dull bits without anyone noticing’.)

And, finally, you are ready to master ‘the art of reading upside down’. This is the pinnacle of a teacher’s story reading achievement. Do not assume that just anyone can do this – your non-teacher friends will gasp in amazement at your story reading prowess. Up to now, maybe you have read with the book on your lap, or held it out to one side. Perhaps you asked your teaching assistant to hold the book for you, or placed your big book on a stand. But now you are ready to take the final step towards story reading mastery. You place the book on your knees facing the class. You peer over the top and look down at the words. Your heart starts to thud. Is it even possible? The words swim before your eyes. And then you suddenly realise that – yes! – you can do this. You can read upside down. “Once upon a time …” you begin. A collective sigh runs through your class. Story time, the very best of times, has begun.

About the Author

Sue Cowley is an experienced teacher, author and presenter. Her mini guide, The Seven P’s of Brilliant Voice Usage, is available on Amazon.