Storytelling Workshop
Sherry Norfolk, Storyteller
888 Vera St., Atlanta, GA 30316
(404)627-7012 · fax (404)627-8385 · shnorfolk@aol.com
www.sherrynorfolk.com
Learning the Story in One Hour
Excerpted from Margaret Read MacDonald’s fantastic book The Storyteller’s Start-Up Book:
Finding, Learning, Performing and Using Folktales (August House, 1993)
1. SELECT a story you are eager to learn. Read it a few times.
2. CONCENTRATE -- isolate yourself where you can’t see or be seen; hear or be heard!
(Okay, probably not anywhere on the school property). Visualize the characters, the setting,
etc.
3. VOCALIZE. Read the story out loud. Listen to the language, note any chants or songs. Use
inflection. Are any voices developing for specific characters?
4. MEMORIZE KEY BITS -- not the whole thing!!! Chants, songs, key phrases -- and the
beginning and ending of the story. (Not necessarily the beginning and ending in the book, but
the way you want to start and end the story.)
5. ANALYZE the story’s basic structure. Some people recommend outlining, but that is only
necessary if you rely heavily on visual cues in learning. Just notice the tale’s structure.
That’ll help you find your way through the story if you become befuddled!
6. SAY THE STORY. Put down the book and begin telling the tale aloud, in your own words.
If you forget, stop briefly to check the text, then continue or begin again.
7. REPAIR. After you have told through the entire tale, recheck your text. Were there
special phrases you had doped to use which you omitted? Is there a spot where you muddle
the action? Plan a path over any rough spots. Take time to retell aloud the shaky bits.
8. TELL IT THROUGH once more, trying not to stop. Force yourself to improvise and just
keep telling. That’ll give you confidence in your ability to ride over the rough spots and keep
the tale moving.
9. EVALUATE. Make note of the spots which still need improvement. Then congratulate
yourself on the amazing progress you’ve already made. Imagine the fun you’ll have telling it
to the kids!
10. TELL IT and KEEP ON TELLING IT! Tell it to the kids, to yourself, to the dog, to a
teddy bear. The more you tell it the better it will get -- but don’t wait for it to be perfect
before you tell it! The story will perfect itself with the audience, not in private practice!
Movement and Story
Sherry Norfolk, Storyteller
888 Vera St., Atlanta, GA 30316 · (404)627-7012 · shnorfolk@aol.com
www.sherrynorfolk.com
1. EVERYTHING you add to a story must enhance the story.
Movement, sound effects, voices, must ADD to the story, not detract from it.
2. DON'T FIDGET!
Ask your friends or family to help you notice nervous habits you may not be aware of
(such as twisting your hair or tapping your foot). These distract the listener from the story.
3. Make sure your gestures and movements are ACCURATE.
If you're supposed to be holding a knitting needle, make sure you know how big one is
and the right way to hold it and use it.
4. Make sure your gestures and movements are APPROPRIATE to your AUDIENCE.
Movements are sometimes dictated by the size of the audience or by the size of
your performance space. Other factors in your audience, such as physical disabilities or age,
may also help you decide what's appropriate.
5. Make sure your gestures and movements are APPROPRIATE to your STORY and
CHARACTERS.
Big, slow elephants should have big, slow movements. Tiny, quick hummingbirds should
have tiny, quick movements.
6. Be CONSISTENT.
If you portray a character with a limp on the left side, keep it on the left side!
AND--If your character places the porridge bowl on the floor to her left, she should
find it there later - unless magic is going on, that porridge bowl should not have moved to
the table on the right.
AND--If an object is 3 feet wide and very heavy to lift, it should remain 3 feet wide
and very heavy to lift.
7. BE YOURSELF!
Don't force yourself to use gestures or movements that make you embarrassed or
uncomfortable.
8. When in doubt - BE STILL.
It's okay not to move. Simply keep your hands at your sides, or, if seated, rest them
on your thighs.
9. What you wear will affect how you move, so DRESS APPROPRIATELY.
Tight or bulky clothing restricts movement. Clanking jewelry is distracting. Hats with
wide brims obscure your face. Have a dress rehearsal in front of a mirror to make sure that
your clothing works for the story, not against it!
10. RELAX!
Do some warm-up exercises before your performance - stretch your back and
shoulders, bend and flex your knees, ankles and arms - even your face! Your body is one of
the tools you use to tell your story, so get it ready to perform.
A Storyteller’s Start-Up Bibliography
* indicates that there are additional titles by this author
*Chase, Richard Jack Tales.( Houghton Mifflin, 1943.)
*DeSpain, Pleasant. Thirty-Three Multicultural Tales to Tell. (August House, 1997)
*Dockery, Richard and Judy. Favorite Scary Stories of American Children. (August House,
1990)
*Forest, Heather. Wonder Tales from Around the World. (August House, 1998)
*Hamilton, Martha & Mitch Wiess. How & Why Stories: World Tales Kids Can Read and
Tell. (August House, 1999).
*Haviland, Virginia. Favorite Folktales Told in
. (There are 15 titles in the
series, each presenting tales from a different country.) Little, Brown, v.d.)
*Holt, David. Ready-to-Tell-Tales. (August House, 1994)
*Lester, Julius. Tales of Uncle Remus: the Adventures of Brer Rabbit.(Dial, 1987)
*MacDonald, Margaret Read. Twenty Tellable Tales: Audience Participation Folktales for
the Beginning Storyteller. (Wilson, 1986.)
Miller, Teresa. Joining In: An Anthology of Audience Participation Stories and How to
Tell Them. (Yellow Moon Press, 1988)
Milord, Susan. Tales Alive! Ten Multicultural Folktales with Activities. Williamson
Publishing, 1994.
*Schwartz, Alvin. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. (HarperCollins, 1981)
*Tashjian, Virginia. With a Deep Sea Smile. (Little, Brown, 1973)
*Yolan, Jane. Favorite Folktales from Around the World. (Pantheon, 1986)
What to Look for When You're Searching for a
Story to Tell
1. A beginning that immediately captures your interest.
2. Colorful characters, but not too many characters.
3. A plot that is not too complicated.
4. It should appeal to your emotions-it might be funny, scary, exciting, or sad.
5. A strong, satisfying ending.
The Match Game
Planning Age-Appropriate Story Programs
Sherry Norfolk, Storyteller
888 Vera St., Atlanta, GA 30316
(404)627-7012 · fax (404)627-8385 · shnorfolk@aol.com
www.sherrynorfolk.com
Some Developmental Info Related to Storytelling
Remember that these are approximations - each child develops at his own rate. There is no
step-like pattern intended - development is continuous through phases which merge into each
other and overlap.
Infants (0-18 months)

like action nursery rhymes

fall asleep to nursery songs and lullabies

listen to Mother Goose as they are rocked

imitate action

participate in animal sounds

relate to real life

like to see babies in books

like the 3 R’s: rhythm, repetition, rhyme
Toddlers (18-36 months)

like to hear the same stories over and over

repeat Mother Goose by heart

explore the world through their senses: taste, smell, touch, etc.

like short rhyming stories

like large clear realistic pictures

like to name and identify objects / pictures
Preschoolers (3-4 years)

use words to express themselves

struggle for independence- “I wanna do it myself!”

play with language: sing-song, nonsense sounds

are fascinated by other children but share grudgingly

are fearful of the dark and strangers

like simple folktales but not fairytales

like to fill in the gaps: “Humpty Dumpty sat on the ______”

like predictability

like to repeat phrases and actions

have short attention spans
5-year-olds (Kindergarten)

like stories with animals that talk

like simple folktales and some fairytales

like a prince and princess in the story

believe in magic

think fairy tale characters really lived a long time ago

sometimes confuse real and make-believe
6-year-olds (1st grade)

still like fairytales

like being read to / told to

memorize poetry & nonsense (patterned language)

still sometimes confuse real and make-believe

are developing a growing sense of independence but need security

still have fears of monsters, strangers, dark
7-year-olds (2nd grade)

seek acceptance by other children their age

increasingly independent from home and family

understand more complex stories than they can read

see the world as good/bad; fair/unfair

believe in magic

accept fairytale “eye for an eye” morality and cruel justice
8-year-olds (3rd grade)

reach peak of interest in fairytales

begin interest in storeis of real life (nonfiction too)

like poetry/verse, riddles, jokes, off-the-wall humor, gross stuff

think picture books are babyish
9-year-olds (4th grade)

are fascinated with “strange but true”

like mysteries

prefer tall tales over fairytales

like happy endings

have a weird sense of humor

like gross stuff, corny jokes
10-year-olds (5th grade)

are satisfied with themselves

like adventure with real heroes

like funny books and stories (such as How to eat fried worms)

are gender-oriented (think in terms of “boy” stories and “girl” stories)
11 & 12-year-olds (pre-teens; 6th & 7th grade)

interested in opposite sex

interested in fads; rock, rap

like HORROR stories

feel intense peer pressure

like babies and little kids

memorize song lyrics

like horse stories, survival stories, adventure

like happy endings

begin to like sci-fi

like to be cool
12 & up

like HORROR, comedy, fantasy, sci-fi

like mythology - relate to metaphor

like to be cool
A few recommended collections for specific age groups
These rankings are suggestions only - many of stories can be told to a much wider age-range
than indicated.
Preschool (ages 3-5)

Harrison, Annette. Easy-to-Tell Stories for Young Children. National Storytelling
Press, 1992.

Hutchinson, Veronica S. Chimney Corner Stories: Tales for Little Children. Linnett
Books, 1992.

Richardson, Frederick. Great Children’s Stories. Rand McNally & Co., 1972.

Sierra, Judy and Robert Kaminski. Multicultural Folktales: Stories to tell Young
Children. The Oryx Press, 1991.

Sierra, Judy. Nursery Tales Around the World. Clarion, 1996.
K-2 grade (Primary/Elementary)

MacDonald, Margaret Read. Twenty Tellable Tales: Audience Participation Folktales
for the Beginning Storyteller. H.W. Wilson, 1986.

Tashjian, Virginia. Juba This and Juba That: Story Hour Stretches for Large and
Small Groups. Little, Brown, 1969.

Tashjian, Virginia. With a Deep Sea Smile: Story Hours Stretches for Large and
Small Groups.. Little, Brown, 1974.
3-4 grade (Intermediate)

Lester, Julius. Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit. Dial,1988 (also
see the others in this series)

Chase, Richard. The Grandfather Tales. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.

Chase, Richard. The Jack Tales. Houghton Mifflin, 1943.

Milord, Susan. Tales Alive! Ten Multicultural Folktales with Activities. Williamson
Publishing, 1995.

Del Negro, Janice. “Stories for Grades Three and Up” in Tales as Tools: The Power
of Story In the Classroom. National Storytelling Press, 1994.
Middle School

Brunvand, Jan Harold. Curses! Broiled Again! The Hottest Urban Legends Going.
Norton, 1989.

Cohen, Daniel. Southern Fried Rat and Other Gruesome Tales. Avon, 1983.

Hamilton, Virginia. The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales. Knopf, 1985.

Hamilton, Virginia. In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World.
Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1988.

Haven, Kendall. “Stories that Appeal to Older Children” in Tales as Tools: The Power
of Story In the Classroom. National Storytelling Press, 1994.
High School

Bierce, Ambrose. “A Cold Night.” Adapted by Craig Roney in Tales as Tools: The
Power of Story In the Classroom. National Storytelling Press, 1994, pp. 120-122.

Babbitt, Natalie. The Devil’s Storybook. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1974.

Asimov, Isaac. 100 Great Fantasy Short, Short Stories.

Reader’s Digest. Great Short Stories of the World, 1972.
Adult



Chinen, Allan. In the Ever After: Fairy Tales and the Second Half of Life. Chiron
Publications, 1989.
Chinen, Allan. Once Upon a Midlife: Classic Stories and MysticTales to Illuminate the
Middle Years. Jeremy P. Tarcher Inc., 1992.
Schimmel, Nancy. “Sources for Stories to Tell Adults” in Just Enough to Make a
Story, 36-38. Sister’s Choice Press, 1992. (Bibliography and Comments)
Seniors

“The Devil and the Farmer’s Wife” in Hear the Wind Blow: American Folksongs.
Bradbury, 1985.

Randolf, Vance. Pissing in the Snow. Avon, 1976

Randolf, Vance. Who Blowed Up the Church House?



Some collections which provide suggested ages for telling
MacDonald, Margaret Read. Look Back and See: Twently Lively Tales for Gentle
Tellers. H.W. Wilson, 1991.
MacDonald, Margaret Read. When the Lights Go Out: 20 Scary Tales to Tell. H.W.
Wilson Co., 1988.
Young, Richard and Judy Dockrey. Favorite Scary Stories of American Children: 23
Tales Newly Collected from Children Aged 5-10. August House, 1990.
Recommended further reading
Barton, Bob. Tell Me Another: Storytelling and Reading Aloud at Home, at School and in the
Community. Heinemann, 1986. (See Chapter 2)
Taking Care of Your Voice
Sherry Norfolk
888 Vera St., Atlanta, GA 30030·(404)627-7012·shnorfolk@aol.com
www.sherrynorfolk.com
Don’t Blow It!
Avoid abusing your voice -- don’t yell, scream or make sounds that hurt. Pain is a
signal to STOP!
Don’t talk too much -- give yourself some breaks during the day and during a
performance (lead the kids in a silent dance or movement while your voice rests!)
Breathe from you diaphragm to support your voice properly. Use a sound system for
large groups or large rooms where your voice doesn’t carry well.
Drink lots and lots and lots and lots of room temperature water.
Warm up your throat -- and your whole body as well!
Open your chest so that you can breathe -- as you breathe in, raise your
shoulders up towards your ears, then exhale as you roll them back
and down, clasping your hands behind your back and stretching down.
Hold as you breathe in and out, then repeat.
Breathe deeply 4-5 times -- in through the nose, out through the mouth.
Relax your neck by gently bending it to the sides, front and back -- don’t
over extend towards the back! Inhale as you straighten, exhale as
you bend.
Say the vowel sounds slowly, stretching the facial muscles and projecting
the sound with diaphragmatic breathing.
Do the “lion” pose: stretch you tongue out of your mouth as far as it will go
while exhaling. It’ll open up your throat!
But If You DID Blow It and Woke Up Hoarse --Try to rest your voice.
Keep your throat covered in cold or damp weather.
Drink lots of room-temperature water, ginger and lemon tea or Throat Coat tea.
Use non-mentholated cough drops or slippery elm throat lozenges.
Make sure it’s not strep throat (see your doctor if it lasts a week)