Techniques of Engaging Children Through Stories

A special workshop for MA Art Therapy students at LASALLE College of the Arts focusing on storytelling specifically for children as target audience.

Areas covered:

• crafting an appropriate length story based on attention span and age 
• awareness of a child’s attention span
• selecting techniques to include in the telling of the story so as to keep the child engaged i.e. participation and interaction
• using visuals and other sensorial elements to appeal to a more multi-sensory storytelling approach
• using props, tools, puppets in the storytelling experience to enhance the sessions
• selection of child-friendly language and vocabulary
• incorporation of repetition
• use of rhyming words and rhythm i.e. short songs
• crafting a story bearing in mind memory: to constantly repeat so the child can recap, recall and remember details of what has already been said
• being aware that the same story should be crafted in such a way that the child can re-tell it from any angle or section: the rule of 'there is no 1 way to tell a story'
• using finer-play and hand-action techniques; using whole body movements; involving games within the story

This workshop is not open to the public