The Stories that Bind Us

The article "The Stories That Bind Us" was written by Bruce Feiler who was having difficulty bringing his family together as his father stated how they were falling apart. Research states that a family whose unity is based on an oscillating family narrative leads to children having a better sense of self and family which makes it overall easier to handle difficult situations. The bottom line of the article is that if you want to have a happier family, you must recall stories of positive moments and the ability to bounce back from difficult ones.

In my classroom, I believe that I would have a class project based on the great depression. I would create groups in my class based on cultural background and after teaching them the basics of what happened and how each different group struggled, I would then have the students research and present the struggles and how those groups over come. As a sidebar, I may have the students take a trip with parents and relatives involved in the tenement museum walk in NYC. Where they can see how groups grew up, lived, struggled, and see how they overcame these difficulties.

Bedtime Stories... All that important?

The topic for this blog entry is bedtime stories. From my own personal experience I was always read to as a child; picture books then eventually chapter books and usually I wouldn't let my father leave my bedside until I was ready to stop having him read to me, or stop reading myself. I believe especially at a young age bedtime stories are crucial to the development of language acquisition, and a love for reading. Studies show that children who are read to or read with a parent at night grow up to be life time readers, (case in point: myself; I love to read! Nothing is more enjoyable on a slow lazy Sunday afternoon then to find my favorite spot for the day with a glass of iced tea and a good book.)

We were asked to watch two videos and discuss the features of storytelling in each. According to Wiki, "Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images, and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation, and to instill moral values. Crucial elements of stories and storytelling include plot, characters, and narrative point of view." Both of these stories use embellishment. The first video, The Four Friends is a Russian story (in Russian, with Russian Subtitles) about four different animals: a deer, a tortoise, a crow and a mouse. They are worried about the hunter's traps and whether or not they will be able to outwit them. The animals talk to one and other and discuss how they are going to get out of a predicament. The second video, "Little Toot and the Lockness Monster" discusses the dream of a little boat and his adventure to go and find the creature, once the riverboats teased Little Toot. The embellishment is the the idea that a boat could have dreams, talk, or be personified in anyway. The same applies to the Russian bedtime story.

I believe that bedtime stories help children with their creativity because it enhances dreams. Our dreams are usually about the last thing we think of when we go to bed at night, or some other thing daunting on our minds. In school I believe that children can channel that creativity in their assignments and school work. Furthermore, as previously mentioned, storytelling at a young age helps students develop language skills. Thus helping the students be prepared for school.