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Storytelling is not just for teachers, but it comes naturally for many children as well. How many times a day do I listen to the "story" of what happened outside, or the story of the book they just read, or the story of the neighbor's dog, or how the turkeys were sitting on top of the cars and houses. We live stories, we tell stories, and we listen to stories. It's who we are.

Adding stories to our homeschooling is just a natural fit. I tell my children stories of my growing-up years. I tell them stories of how God has answered prayer. I tell them the true stories of biblical events. I read them stories with good morals and biblical analogies. I may even have them tell those stories back to me. That is the simple explanation of the word "narration." When a child can tell you the story that you just read, you will see what insight he received and how well he comprehended the information.

If you have young children who have a hard time writing book reports, stories, etc., have them narrate to you and type it up for them. This gives them confidence to continue and separates the joy of telling and writing stories from the mechanics of getting it on paper. They will eventually learn to put the mechanics of handwriting to the process of creating stories as they get a little older, but in the meantime, you just may save yourself and them many tears of frustration.

Storytelling incorporates all learning styles, and our brains retain so much more when we learn a concept through a story. Jesus understood this, as he told many parables and stories. He made things easy to understand, yet deep enough that often they required further thought and meditation. His Word gives us much on which to "meditate day and night."

Don't you just love a good story? We all do. Get those children into the best story of all-the true history of God's Word-and see them blossom under His blessing. When I read the Bible to my children, I do not tell them they are Bible stories; rather, I assert that these are not stories, but they are the real, true history of what happened in our past and what will happen in our future.

That most important true story starts like this, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth . . ." And the story ends like this, "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." You know what comes in the middle of that story? The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ-the literal crux of the whole story of mankind. Now, that is the best true story there ever was or ever will be. Let's make sure we tell that story to our children this very week.

~Deborah

P.S. Here are a few Easter stories and activities to share with your children:

Animated Easter story:

http://wordofloveforyou.com/easter1.htm

Life of Jesus mini book activity:

http://www.dltk-teach.com/minibooks/jesus/index.htm

Jesus Rose coloring page: http://www.christiananswers.net/kids/clrpg015.html

Jesus Is Risen activity pages:

http://children.cccm.com/site/pdf/New/curr238.pdf

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I'm writing from a hotel in Blue Earth, Minnesota. The Familyman Mobile is sitting in a giant garage waiting for a part to be installed tomorrow.

The story began this morning when we left a blustery Walmart parking lot in Albert Lea, Minnesota. In fact, it looked like a blizzard outside. Yuck.

Anyway, we were on a small detour to see Mount Rushmore while traveling southish to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Things were going well, and my wife had just gotten off the phone with her mother. As she shared all the details of a cold and great weekend in Duluth, I heard her say, "Yeah, we had a few problems . . . but they're minor compared to breaking down."

Three minutes after hanging up, the RV engine stopped. Long story short: We inched our way toward the shop that was 17 miles away, dropped the family off at McD's (since the shop informed us there was no waiting room), and then stalled permanently 1.8 miles from the shop on a two-lane, no-shoulder road. The tow truck came, pulled me with a big strap, and figured out that the fuel shutoff solenoid was broken.

Now, we're watching HGTV on motel television while feasting on pizza. Hopefully we'll be back on the road by the time you read this.

That's our story, and we learned that God can be trusted . . . no matter what.

Those are the REAL stories, and those are the REAL lessons.

Enjoy your story,

Todd

P.S. Check out my RV blog pictures.

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Ruth Beechick, Curriculum Specialist 

and

Debbie Strayer, Homeschool Consultant 

Read-aloud time was sacred at our house, not only when our children were young, but on through the difficult literature of high school. When the children were young, Daddy would read the Chronicles of Narnia aloud. Every now and then, he would interject something like, "Then Aslan went to the refrigerator . . . " and pause ever so slightly. The children, listening with wide eyes, would hoot, "No, Daddy, Aslan didn't have a refrigerator!"

"Oh, my mistake," Greg would say and continue reading. This produced an attitude of listening actively in our children. They were always making sure Daddy was staying on script, but in the meantime, our point was made. What Daddy was reading was important to hear.

Stories connect with all of us. The relational element draws us in closer, to find out what is going to happen to the characters that become so real. Whether it is fiction or the most important of literature, the Bible, children learn best through stories. As there is variety in literature, there is variety among those who tell stories. The best stories are told by the author himself, speaking with his own voice, heart, experience, and thoughts. That is why children need to read real books and hear them read.

When children read or listen to real books, they are doing what Ruth calls the mind-to-mind connection. The children hear straight from the heart of the author. That is why the selection of literature is so important. Scripture tells us that our thoughts need to be fixed on what is lovely, pure, honorable, just, and true. That would exclude reading accounts of brutal leaders or pagan times to young children especially, and being very careful that even older children read biographies, literature, and accounts of history that are uplifting. Teach with wholesome stories. Your children's thinking depends on it.

~ Debbie 

Read more from Debbie at www.debbiestrayer.com.