Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-04
THE POWER OF THE STORY
ny FREDENIC ,. UAsKIy

~ a. hhShIS |
EHrten and enters the grades higher
up. the story is still the sugar-coated
lining around the knowledge pill. In
the fourth grade, Tor example. the
children read Illawatha. After they
finish reading it, they are taken to
the museum In different par. OF the
city and shown the Indian exhibits
Almost every city has a few samples
OF Indian pottery and one or two Dlas-
ter statues. After this, they return to
the schoolroon and build an Indian
village. such as is pictured in Eia-
watha. In the sand. including the trees
ana tents ana animals. In this way
they have had lesson in history.
primitive architecture. in pottery, bas-
ketTy' and, although they may not
realize ~ themselves. they know by
sight every tree mentioned In tho
poem and the habits OF every animal.
In enc school In an eastern city the
children were told story about
little girl who helped her mother
10 large bakery near the school.
where factory guide took them
through. explaining each process OF
bread making to them All tho time
inc teacher kept pointing out the diff
ference between the way the machjn-
cry made bread and the way Mary
Jane. the little girl in the book, did
IT. The next day she brought ali the
equipment for making bread TO school
ana showed the children The home
made methods. According TO the teach
crs In this school. not one OF ,hesr
children has forgotten single fac,
brought on, IN the trip through the
bakery. and many OF them have given
their mothers pointers In the sci.
cntihc principles OF bread-naking.
Not Confined to Facts.
Tho use If the story however. is
not confined entirely to teaching facts
TO tho child. The summer Storytelling
classes. for example do no, aim tn
teach any one thing. bur merely To-
entertain and stimulate tho inag!na
tons OF the audience. The beai chill
dr-hs stories and books are selected
~ me story teiiers. who mcmorize the
important features of the plot. and
then tell them IN the best way for
children. Hundreds OF very good chill
| drcn's stories have been written and
quite recently. undor tho stimulus OF
the storytelling movement there Is
n great demand for them nj tho nuh
iish'nE house. Lists of the best chill
drens literature will be furnished
Iladl" by the public Libraries OF the
cities nj the requests OF parents de-
siroua OF obtaining hooks for their
CHI :ldren.
In many cities several philanthropic
omen interested in the STORYTELLING
movement have donated their premise,
10 meetings for children and their
mothers. and at times rooms for that
/ purpose have been set aside several az
( ternoons week by hotels and depart
ment stores. An elaborate story-tell-
! ing matinee was given not long ago
! in larRS New York hotel at which
/ Miss Georgine Faulkner, n famous pro-
| fcssional story-tellcr entertained an
audience of 700 children. Dressed as
/ Mother Goose, this young woman re-
att AI@t
/ Mother Goose stories, assisted by
| number Of singers who sang the ball
| lads. Miss Faulkner started IN to get
| acquainted with her audience mt the
! beginning by recitinE her own version
| OF Jack and Jill, which ran:
Jack and Jill went up the hill.
Like a dutiful son and daughter;
! Now Jack is sick and Jill is III.
They did not boil the water"
The children did not object to tho
change. but they Immediately lie: her
/ know that II wasn't correct.
When Mother Goose ran out OF ma
| tcriai Miss Faulkner donned a Ger
man. costume and told the stories OF
Hans and Gretel." The Gingerbread
Man" and THE Wee Bunnock." which
were applauded enthusiastically by the
children. especially at the end, when
each child was presented with Gin
gcrbread Man as a souvenir OF the
event
The mere telling of n story seems
small matter. but it has It's technique
the same any pther profession. I'm
fortunately, however, the nation Is
still full of q great number OF anna
tours in the form Of parents. who tell
their children all sorts and varieties OF
stories without any thought as to
their effect upon them. The story is
- inf in,
life Of the child to-day, and it is the
purpose OF the storytelling movement
TO make every parent and educator
realize this fact.