Using the Art Studio to Spark Storytelling
Story Journals have been an integral part of All Seasons’ curriculum since day one. Sarah Sivright, who co-founded the school alongside Amy Lemieux, stressed the importance of story dictation and story-acting as ways to build literacy skills, competence, and connection.
Some years children flock to their journals, and sometimes the children’s interest is drawn in other directions, and they need a gentle push to reignite the use of the journals. Attempting to fan the flames, recent visits to the Inver Glen Art Studio have included a focus on storytelling.
One visit focused on bookmaking. The parameters were purposely kept to four small pages, enough for a story arc, yet avoiding overwhelm and the pressure to define an ending. Precocious children added at the end of their stories the workaround, “to be continued!” Children dictated their stories while I wrote their words, with illustrations added afterwards. This gave direction to their art, which is especially helpful for those who find it challenging to decide what to draw. If their main character was a beaver, for example, it was a chance to try drawing something new. “I can’t do a beaver.” Encouraged to try breaking it down, and feeling success after starting with drawing a head, a child grew in confidence: “Maybe I can...I made the tail. I never made a beaver before!”
As children listened to their stories being read aloud, the pride in their work was apparent. Using illustrations to jog their memories, children could be heard retelling their stories to themselves, caregivers, and each other. “Mine had a dragon in it, too!” “Is this the part where you ate mac and cheese?” In each retelling it is perfectly fine for children to add surprises and new details.
In another studio visit, children worked with clay. While experimenting with the properties of clay, children were once again asked to tell a story. In this case, the stories began with sculptural illustrations and evolved while the children manipulated the clay. If attachments fell off, it was immediately worked into the tale: “The ladybug didn’t have any home, so it was just flying around, and one wing fell off. Then the other wing fell off.” Lots of characters got “smooshed,” while others grew more detailed. “Go back and add that there was a table lamp by the bed.”
The effects of storytelling are astonishing. Telling and retelling stories leads to an increase in brain activation, critical thinking, memory, and language and listening skills. Children visualize characters and find connections. In the studio, preschoolers saw their friends try new things, push through challenges, and make adjustments. They found out their friends were funny, talented, imaginative, resilient, and creative. They wanted to hear more. They wanted to reflect on shared experiences like bedtime routines, as well as picture what battling winged dinosaurs together might be like. They want more stories in their lives!