Cut - or Draw - & Tell Stories
To keep your kinders interested during story time {and to hopefully instill in them a love of storytelling and reading!}, it's important to vary your routine. Develop a voice for each of the characters, help students visualize the events of the story by acting it out or miming, add sound effects where appropriate - do what you can to keep them focused, interested, and even captivated by the story!
Cut and tell stories, as well as draw and tell stories, offer a fantastic break from traditional "bound book storytelling". They require the teller to truly know the story {allowing them to better relate the events, characters, and setting}, add an artistic element to the process, and usually provide a surprise ending when the cut object/drawing is revealed!
To see how a cut and tell story works, check out this fantastic blog post from Sherry and Donna at Irresistible Ideas for Play Based Learning. The duo also has a picture tutorial of a draw and tell story. You can find several resources for these types of stories online as well {or attempt to make your own from a new/favorite story!}. One resource we thought was particularly helpful is this compilation of "Draw & Tell", "Cut & Tell", and "Fold & Tell" books from the Fremont Public Library.
While certainly not practical for every circle time, your students will have a blast with this new storytelling platform. You might even consider having them give it a try...
