10 Benefits of Fairy Tales and Ways of Storytelling for Children – How often do you read fairy tales to children? The answer may be rarely or never. Nowadays, the art of storytelling seems to have begun to be abandoned, children are more addicted to gadgets than hearing fairy tales before going to bed.
Fairy tales play an important role in developing your child’s overall personality. This storytelling is a tradition since time immemorial which is passed down from generation to generation and is still a part of us when we were little. I don’t know nowadays. Even though there are many benefits of fairy tales for children.
10 Benefits and Ways of Storytelling for Children
What is Storytelling?
Storytelling is the activity of reading fairy tales or stories that are usually done as a lullaby at night.
Storytelling is actually just reading a story from a book and seasoned with intonation and expressive style. If you run out of story material, you can share experiences from the past, talk about your own childhood, or even read a fairy tale from your phone.
Definition of fairy tales according to the KBBI
According to the Big Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI), the definition of fairy tales is a story that did not really happen (especially about strange events in the past).
Parents today find it easier to put their children to sleep after watching their favorite cartoon, than to curl up in bed and read a fairy tale. What has been the simple pleasure of childhood has stuck with us, it’s important that you make time each night to read to the kids too.
There are many benefits of fairy tales for children, especially for preschool, kindergarten and elementary school children.
10 Benefits of Fairy Tales for children
After we know the meaning of fairy tales, then here are 10 benefits of fairy tales for children that you cannot miss as parents:
1. Instilling Virtue in Children
Children all over the world love to listen to stories. They want to know more about their favorite characters and often try to emulate them. By telling stories of virtue, you are indirectly instilling a meaningful message in your child, messages such as wisdom, courage, honesty, etc. From an early age to the little one.
2. Introducing Culture to Children
By telling them about past activities and traditions, you will make them more familiar with the different customs or traditions in the family. This at the same time can introduce various regional cultures to your child. This is a very positive thing, considering that nowadays children prefer foreign cultures to the original culture of their own nation.
3. Improve Verbal Skills
Reading fairy tales to children helps in getting them acquainted with new languages and words and phrases. This is a great way to teach your child new words and pronunciations on a regular basis.
4. Improve Listening Skills
Most of the children usually have a lack of attention and find it difficult to concentrate on something for long. In the end they prefer to talk, rather than listen.
Reading fairy tales to children ensures that they are not only more attentive, but also trains them to learn to listen and understand.
5. Encourages Creativity and Imagination
Listening to fairy tales helps a child imagine characters, places, plots, etc. Instead of seeing it in visual media. It will also increase creativity, make them more imaginative and develop new ideas.
6. Improve Memory
By reading fairy tales, you can help improve your child’s memory. After reading the story, you can ask him to retell the story after a few days. Alternatively, you can ask him to just give you a summary. This is a fun way to improve his memory and train his concentration.
7. Broaden Insights
Initially, children never know the diverse cultures of various countries, through this fairy tale reading activity, you can make them familiar with various places and cultures around the world. By telling about the various cultures of the world, of course the children’s insight will increase.
8. Helping School Lessons
The next benefit of fairy tales is that they can help lessons at school. Sometimes it is very difficult for children to accept lessons at school, because the material is too boring for them.
By reading open lessons as their fairy tales before going to bed, this can be an alternative so that children can absorb the subject matter, of course in a way and style of telling stories like reading fairy tales. Children will be more interested in it.
9. Communication Gets Better
Sometimes, children are hesitant to ask questions, even though their minds are filled with curiosity. Storytelling helps children in learning the art of asking the right questions. It also tells them how to have the perfect conversation and makes them more confident. Reading and listening regularly can make them better orators too.
10. Helping Children Prepare for Various Situations
Difficult situations always end up leaving the children feeling confused. Stories about various characters who face difficult situations, can help them understand this concept better. Try telling stories that teach children that pain or suffering is a part of life, just as happy and joyful times are. The right fairy tales can help your child become ready to face life and various situations.
Interesting Ways of Storytelling for Children
After we know the 10 benefits of fairy tales as described above, then you must know how to tell an interesting story. In order to make children more interested, special techniques are needed to make the stories in the fairy tale come alive.
The following points will help you understand proper storytelling techniques and will make you a good storyteller:
1. Long Story
A story should not be too short or too long. A short story may not be able to convey the message correctly and completely, while a long story will be boring and uninteresting.
The point is, keep children interested in our fairy tales. If it is a long story, make it a partial story, so that children are curious and wait for your next story.
2. Comfortable Condition
The next way of storytelling is by choosing comfortable conditions. Choose a comfortable room to read stories. The place will create a good mood and the perfect setting for reading fairy tales.
3. Proper Expression
When telling a story, make sure to use proper hand gestures and facial expressions. You can also make different sounds or ask your child to join in. This will make the story more interesting and interactive.
4. Proper Sound Pressure
Make sure you speak in a clear voice and at a slow pace. Your voice should be able to accurately describe the emotions as stated in the story. Vary the voice and tone according to the needs of the story, don’t forget to use pauses in the right places.
5. Involve Them
Try to engage your children by using different phrases or by asking questions like ‘Did you know?’.
In addition, you can also ask them to find out what message is being conveyed in the story, thereby making them more involved and able to draw conclusions.
6. Use Objects or Toys to Make It More Attractive
Some storytellers use objects such as puppets or items in the house. You can also use other objects like your child’s toys or dolls. This aims to facilitate the visualization of stories, as well as make children more excited about your fairy tales.
An interesting way of storytelling will be preferred by children, especially if it involves several objects to make it look more attractive. In addition, children will more easily absorb the moral message in the fairy tale.
Those are some of the benefits of fairy tales and how to tell stories for children that parents need to know. With a variety of positive effects on children, should we leave this good habit?
