Ellis said a five-year program would be ideal because it would cover most of Illinois. Storytelling is a beautiful integration of literature and performance arts. Anyone can participate in folk art, and it exposes those who may not have the resources to the fine arts. Upon completion of the program, the storytellers will have assembled a kit containing many necessary tools for combating adult illiteracy through storytelling for the community colleges. Fourth-graders took their favorite bits of early Texas history and spun their own tall tales.
Kids love to listen to stories.
And through stories, we get to know other worlds, histories and times. Creating stories with things and events children know about helps them to increase their creativity, Mr. Ellis said. He conducted a weeklong workshop that was paid for by a grant awarded to three Larson Elementary teachers. And he is leaving us with such a strong understanding of the storytelling process that we will continue this. I hope that this helps the children to write and tell stories for the rest of their lives.