Blog Post #4
Storytelling Reflection #2
Hello readers! Today's blog will be another reflection of my last storytelling experience. This time, we will look at the planning process of telling a story with props and also the execution of that plan. Hopefully my experience will help you learn or better prepare for your own storytelling experience in the future.
The problem was, I didn't have a felt board! I put a video in one of my previous blog posts about how to make your own felt board. Unfortunately, I don't have the resources to make all the storybook characters and pieces to do a good retelling. Therefore, I began searching. I was looking for both a felt board and also some premade felt characters that would fit the retelling experience I was hoping for. During my search I came upon this felt board on Etsy. (The link is below.)
I selected this board specifically for two reasons. I am
going to filming myself and I need something on the smaller side. This board is 12x13 which is still visible to my audience, but not too large it is cumbersome.
Second, it has this nifty hand strap which makes it so easy to hold! I thought this would be incredible helpful while filming, but also in the library!
After selecting this board, I needed the actual story pieces to be able to use it! I started searching the same Etsy store and couldn't believe how many choices there were! There were felt characters and pieces to stories like Little Red Ridding Hood, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Pete the Cat and so many more! She offers bundles too! I highly encourage you all to check it out!
So I bet you're wondering what story I selected! Well, I saw a family favorite and had to have it! If you Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff. This is one of my daughter's favorites so I knew I had to pick it! Plus, the characters and pieces included in the set where too cute! The link to them are here. If you Take a Mouse to School Felt Set
This set was perfect! Now I just needed to plan and practice the retelling before filming. The physical book I had was a miniature version which actually was helpful because It was small and I could keep it hidden while using the props and doing the retelling. After a few tries. I learned it was super helpful to line the props up in order as they were introduced in the story. This kept me on track and helped me make sure I didn't miss anything. I tried several times retelling without the book, but this particular story has so many parts, I really needed the book to make sure I didn't leave anything out. Here is the video if you didn't get a chance to watch it last week.
Looking back on that retelling, I feel like a did an okay job as a beginner. I am glad I asked questions to my audience in an effort to make them feel a part of the story. However, I wish I had more inflection in my voice. This experience was the first time I was worried it wouldn't keep the attention of young children. So I tested that theory with my five year old daughter. I had her watch the video to see if she was quickly bored or if she stayed engaged. It was a success! She watched the whole thing and never took her eyes off the screen. This was very comforting. However, this experience has encouraged me to get better. I have been researching the benefits of using the felt board and watching some other storytellers use them. I have included a list of benefits and some great videos. Check them out below for some great examples. 😊
I hope my experience, tips, and resources were helpful. Thanks for checking out my blog. :)
References
Numeroff, L. (2002). If you take a mouse to school: Laura Numeroff; illustrated by Felicia Bond. HarperCollins.
Why felt? the benefits of felt board storytelling and play. Story Time Felts. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2021, from http://www.funfelt.com/benefits-of-felt.html.
Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thought process behind creating your storytelling with props. I also had to purchase a board and pieces for this assignment, but I think I will definitely be using it again in the future. I think students at school would really enjoy retelling familiar stories (and creating a few of their own) with a felt board and pieces. I agree that it was smart to purchase a small board for this assignment- I had difficulty making sure that the whole board could be seen while I told my story. I really enjoyed watching your story last week and thought it was very interactive for young listeners. It took much more thought using props than I anticipated- I thought they would just help me remember the sequence of the story. I had to think about where to place all the pieces while I was talking. Great job!