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Kathleen - Laura Simms has been performing and writing for nearly 25 years and has been called "The Queen of American Storytelling." Theater critics have called the New York artist's performances "stunning" and "incandescent." Storyteller, writer, theater and festival director, teacher, and recording artist, Simms has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, southeast and central Asia. Among the rave reviews , the Chicago Tribune said, "Laura has a spellbinding way of leading listeners into the heart of a story that makes it impossible not to follow." Teachers.net welcomes you, Laura!
Kathleen - Are you performing at the National Storyteller's event this week in Tennessee? tell us about it.
Laura - I am not performing this year, but came to see friends and enjoy the storytelling. I have been coming for twenty years or more.
Kathleen - Do you perform for all age levels? Which is your preferred audience?
Laura - The festival hasn't begun yet, but people are gathering on the street and I have already met many old friends.
Laura - I perform for all ages. I love the kids that are in any particular audience, but I feel especially excited by grades three to six telling fairy tales
Kathleen - Laura, are children of those ages most responsive?
Laura - On the airplane today I finished rewriting a story for Sesame Street Parent's Magazine.
Laura - There is something intensely wonderful about that age and fairy tales as if they live it as it happens and are nourished by the psychological meaning without really understanding it. It think they thrive on the metaphors and magic of it ... reminding them that the world is alive and everything is possible.
Mountainette 4/WV - I love to read to my 4th graders. Do you have some favorite stories that you like to tell?
Laura - Recently I have been telling the Russian fairy tale Wasalisa, the Beautiful It is found in many collections.
Laura - Something wonderful about the story. A playground was recently designed based on my version of the Wasalisa story. At the opening the children raced around finding all the images and making the story their own.
Kathleen - Laura, can we consider reading storybooks as storytelling if we jazz it up and dramatize it, or is storytelling defined as w/o written text for support?
Laura - I think that reading and telling are vastly different. However, a good reader can almost bring the story to life for the listener with immediacy. The prime difference in a telling is that the storyteller is always creating the story in performance (even though the words or story are the same) in response to the reaction of the audience. It is like a dance.
Kathleen - Do you do any storytelling training for teachers?
Laura - I love to work with teachers and help them first- understand how stories effect children and the many benefits of storytelling; and then work with them to bring text off the page with energy and with meaning. I have been giving workshops for teachers for 25 years.
Linda/CA - I teach 2nd grade -- and I much prefer to tell stories about historical figures and events rather than read books on the same topics to my students -- they seem to retain much more this way
Laura - Perhaps they retain more because the telling lets them imagine what happens, rather than a recitation of fact which is too dry for children, or any one usually.
Linda/CA - Yes -- and I also use props -- sometimes very simple ones -- like a piece of paper and a walnut shell to represent the flat earth and ship in Columbus story
Laura - I like the idea of telling about historical figures. It makes the children find a way to imagine the personality and try it on for themselves.. it also allows them to understand that people have such varied experiences and can effect the world. Telling is an experience and not an explanation. which is why it benefits children.
Laura - Linda, you must be a loved teacher. I would love to see the whole world as a walnut shell. What a marvelous and magical thing to do for children. That is the essence of myth which relates things to one another and brings it alive with image.
Donna - I guess I think storytelling is a great tool. I tend to tell "stories" that have happened to me to my class. They always want to hear the stories again and again. They hardly ever want to read a story twice.
Kathleen - Laura, do many of your stories originate from myths?
Linda/CA - Laura -- we had a master story teller here at our local university -- Arne Nixon -- perhaps you have heard of him -- the kids just loved his storytelling
Laura - What grade do you teach, Donna? And, I also find that kids love stories about my life. It is how I began telling Rotten Teeth which is based on my life. And I have a lot of myth based stories for kids. I loved creation stories.
Kathleen - Donna, do you mean you weave classroom incidents into stories you create and share w/o a book?
Laura - I don't know Arne Nixon. Where are you?
Delta1 - Laura - How do you approach storytelling with older children ie Middle Schoolers?
Linda/CA - Fresno CA -- Dr. Nixon passed on about 2 years ago -- but he was a much loved figure here
Laura - I combine true life stories with highly moving and interesting fairy tales and rich folklore. I try to tell stories that don't feel like kids tales and are about issues that they want and need to hear about like nonviolence, love, the effects of greed, impermanence, and very funny real life incidents.
Donna - Exactly, Kathleen. The kids love hearing stories that they or their friends are a part of. They also understand concepts better if they can relate to it.
Laura - Further about middle schoolers: last year I was in residence at Lincoln Center INstitute for Arts and told stories for many middle schoolers. I told a story about growing up in Brooklyn called THE MUD SISTERS, an AFrican tale, and Wasalisa. The year before I told a controversial fairy tale about incest.
Kathleen - Donna, you sound like an authentic storyteller!
Linda/CA - I find my students retain more if the story tends to be a bit on the funny side -- or at least exaggerated either in the story line or the presentation
Laura - Linda, do you make the stories up on the spot?
Donna - Thanks Kathleen, my mom always told me i was storying her when I was younger!
Linda/CA - Somewhat -- my major is history so that helps -- I know the basic story line ahead -- but the telling depends on the kids reactions
Laura - Donna, what a great expression. Was your mother a storyteller too?
Laura - Kathleen, have you had a storyteller on this meeting before? And do you tell stories as well?
Kathleen - Laura, you are our first storyteller. I am not a storyteller, my husband dabbles in it. Tells during Tellabration each year
Donna - Not really, but she was part of a huge family. Nine kids ...They are all a really funny bunch. I have an uncle who has continually told me stories that show how gullible I am. I guess I get that from them. Gotta keep up with 'em.
Kathleen - Laura, have you made any videos of your storytelling? Perhaps training video in addition to stories performed on video?
Laura - It must be infectious storytelling in such a large family. My brother and I were the only kids and we were wild for language playing and making stories about our relatives at the dinner table. I have not made a training video, although it is a good idea. There are basic techniques that would be helpful to teachers.
Rrhood - Laura, what are a couple of those techniques?
Kathleen - Laura, I think many are not exposed to storytelling. Seeing some on video might give us confidence to try it in the classroom, especially when we have no other adults in the room ;-)
Kathleen - Good question, Rrhood (what big ideas you have ;-)
Delta1 - I would like to know some techniques, also!
Laura - I have more cassettes and cd's of stories. In fact two new kids tapes came out yesterday. They are good in classrooms -they have a lot of music and kids can sit and listen as if the story is told just to them. The videos that I made are not as interesting it is the sound of the voice that really grabs attention. First, technique: find stories you personally like and that you would find personally interesting to retell. Then try it with a friend. Tell them about the story in your normal adult fashion. Come to know what you really feel about the story first.
Delta1 - Where can we get these CD's/tapes
Laura - Second technique is to not memorize but learn to tell the story in one's own words. make it genuine. I make an outline of the main points and then make a map (drawing with little stick figures) of what the landscape of the story includes ... very primitive, but I enter the landscape.
Laura - I could easily send a list of my cd's and tapes to you. Here is my e-mail address (I am out of town at the National Storytelling Festival for the next four days): storydevi@earthlink.net Also, Borders books is featuring FOUR LEGGED TALES. The newest one is called FISH TALES. It has some great tales, even one rap song for a myth about lobster and flounder with my son singing.
Kathleen - 4 Legged Tales audio tape: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6305400288/teachersnet
Kathleen - That is actually an audio cd
Kathleen - Incredible Journey Tales for Children (audio tape) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0939065010/teachersnet
Laura - both four legged and fish come in both cd and cassette. I recorded three cassettes some years ago that have wonderful stories for retelling and they were just reissued by Yellow Moon Press in Mass.
Kathleen - Laura, are you at all reluctant to transfer your oral stories to written text? Do you think the stories lose something when written down?
Donna - Laura, it sounds like a lot of these stories are about animals. Is this something I could use to add some scientific information to an otherwise boring vertebrate lesson, or are these stories mainly for language lessons?
Kathleen - Stories Old As the World Fresh As the Rain (Audio Cassette) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/9994770691/teachersnet
Laura - The task is challenging for me when I put them in writing, but I love to do it. It means developing the story differently since my voice has so much meaning that is not evident on a page. I have no reluctance, I just don't consider it storytelling.
Donna - well, now Kathleen keeps adding all these titles and that question seems a little goofy now
Laura - Donna, I think that is a marvelous idea. Especially if you are working with the habits etc. of the particular animal. In fact, I think that is a great use of the stories and would then make children feel that they were personally involved in those animals.
Laura - I made the animal tapes because I felt that traditional people have a tremendous regard for our relationship with the natural world. Also, there are ethical and important lessons about interdependence, about foolishness and friendship, and our stewardship of the earth.
Lisa - I love story telling i often do it animated style to teach Bible ...
Kathleen - Good question, can storytelling be instructional, or is it purely entertainment and language enriching?
Laura - Do you teach Bible in school or a church setting, Lisa?
Donna - Lisa, that is where I have tons of story resources in my head for ... Bible ... I need to expand my repertoire
Laura - Storytelling is the most essential and unforgettable way to educate.. it is instruction that is experiential. Within the many tales that are told by tribal peoples there are often very complicated information included that we don't see in the versions that we read. It is how children were taught, most successfully.
Kathleen - One of Laura's books: The Bone Man : An Adaptation of a Modoc Folktale by Laura Simms, Michael McCurdy (Illustrator). http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786800895/teachersnet Michael chatted here, see his transcript in the Archive (after this session ;-)
Laura - The most important thing to know about storytelling is that the characters in the stories are created in the mind of the listener. It is a totally participatory event and unique to each listener. That in itself is an important lesson. It is a peace making technique to recognize that we each hear the story and imagine it differently.
Kathleen - Storytelling would certainly be a good balance for the television generation/s. Give kids an opportunity to develop visualization skills, constructing rather than vegetating
Laura - Kathleen, thank you for mentioning Michael and THE BONE MAN. We had a wonderful time co-creating the book. After Michael was finished, we looked together at the pictures and talked about the relationship between the boy and his grandmother. Michael went home and made a new page that truly showed their closeness and the importance of her teachings.
Rrhood - In my K class we use something called Shared Journal. Students share stories from their lives, others ask questions, later we write. Interesting to see the development of that sense of audience even at that young age.
Kathleen - Michael McCurdy is a wonderful person, we enjoyed chatting.
Laura - Your welcome Rrhood. Your shared journal idea sounds fabulous. I hope I hear more about it one day.
Lisa - I teach in a Christian school and I love to make the characters come to life with storytelling.
Donna - that is exactly true Laura ... I have seen it myself.... We read a book in class last year ... then watched the movie. The kids loved the book and REFUSED to watch the movie after the first 10 min. they said the producer obviously hadn't read the book, because he didn't "see" the action at all!
Linda/CA - I know that when I tell a story, my students sometimes give me a whole new interpretation with their illustrations or responses
Laura - About movies and stories. I have never seen a group of children not respond totally to storytelling. When I go to a school and the principal tells me the kids have no attention, I just tell an hour long story and no one moves.
Kathleen - Laura, I actually prefer storytelling for children to involve minimal props. I believe it is a more valuable experience for the kids to create their own images.
Linda/CA - yes -- Laura that is one of the reasons I have more or less quit reading to them -- I get a longer attention span when I tell the stories
Laura - Linda, that sounds juicy. I think that it is great to present lots of different ideas. Here is funny tale about three families that were feuding. A judge was brought in to listen to their stories. Each family said their story was right. When asked, the judge said, "I don't see a problem if you are all right."
Laura - Linda, that sounds juicy. I think that it is great to present lots of different ideas. Here is funny tale about three families that were feuding. A judge was brought in to listen to their stories. Each family said their story was right. When asked, the judge said, "I don't see a problem if you are all right."
Laura - Linda and Kathleen, I think it is brave to tell our children stories. Without internal images the world has tremendous power over children's minds and they lose their sense of presence and self esteem.
Kathleen - I think children don't develop cognitive skills as well when they don't develop the ability to form mental images, certainly the ill effect of TV
Lisa - What are some special techniques we should keep in mind when story telling?
Laura - The most important technique is to be oneself and feel the story, see it as you tell it in your own mind and speak directly to the children with the passion of the story ... not to worry about the memorized text, but the heartfelt involvement is what makes it happen. Children need the intimacy of spoken word. Media has an unnatural speaking fashion that promotes disembodied living. The storytelling brings children back into the body.
donna - Lisa, I like to add current attitudes, phrases, etc. to my Bible characterizations. Kids think it's a hoot and they also understand better
Linda/CA - I had the students draw a picture after I told them about Columbus' voyage to the new world -- one boy had Columbus in a space shuttle type ship -- told me that was the way you explored the world now!
Kathleen - Linda, a sign that he internalized the story!
Linda/CA - Yes-- and they come back years later and ask if I remember when I told such and such a story
donna - I have younger brothers and sisters that get to my room and ask on the first day ... can you tell the story about......
Linda/CA - And I think truly the best part is that many go home and tell their parents the story -- I get feedback from the parents
Kathleen - DONNA the Storyteller!!! Laura, Donna is a great storyteller!
Lisa - Wow, that is so true, I like not to bind myself to the memorized text either. Tell it from the heart. Do we integrate this into our reading. I give a writing test at the beg. of yr. and I tell the kids a story that blows their mind about seeing a gorilla on my way to school with media all around him, and he waves to me and say "See ya tomorrow Mrs. Cox" and they try to decide if I am telling the truth or not. I eventually let them know it isn't but boy does it ever help them write creatively.
Donna B4TX - Oh kat ... don't make me blush now!
Laura - Donna, where do you live!!
Laura - Lisa, when children sense that they can make anything happen with language they gain a tremendous sense of courage intellectually.
Donna B4TX - Laura I live in east Texas in the woods
Laura - There are some great storytellers in Texas. Do you know Jeaninne Beekman
Laura - My favorite opening line in a fairytale is "There was a soldier returning from battle who entered a forest and got lost."
Lisa - Donna you do seem like a great storyteller, do you just tell the bible stories and add current phrases and lang. to the characters or do you get ideas from a book?
Donna B4TX - Laura, doesn't she live north of Houston?
Kathleen - Donna B4TX writes stories incorporating people who are part of her life. Donna B4TX do you ever share stories orally?
Kathleen - A neat book for kids: Rotten Teeth by Laura Simms http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0395828503/teachersnet A hot-air balloon is anchored outside the Hermann household, while inside a python rests calmly on the couch and a full suit of armor guards the living room. Still, first grader Melissa complains to her older brother Norman that there is nothing in their house interesting enough to take to school for Show and Tell.
Laura - Yes, Jeaninne does. She was a student of mine and she was so wonderful I had her assist me in teaching storytelling for many years. She tells some grand Texas funny tall tales and the stories of Koing Aruthur.
donna - I usually have a certain story I want to relay, I read to myself and then plan out how I want to proceed.
April in TN - Laura, what tips do you have for getting started with some daily stories?
Laura - Rotten Teeth is based on a true story that happened to me when I was little. I loved writing it and I love David Catrow's totally wild illustrations. Children love hearing the story.
Donna B4TX - Kat yes ... I use oral stories a lot with my 4th graders and it does help too with the elaboration in their own writings.
Laura - Daily Stories. Perhaps you could tell a story every day that begins with "there was a child who..." and then let the kids add what they want... keep it going and find out each day about a different adventure. The practice and the excitement about hearing and involvement will make the stories get better and better.
Linda/CA - Don't know what Laura does, but I tell them about myself and my family and things that have happened to us. I also tell rather than read old favorites to them, like "Ira Sleeps Over"
Laura - The best way to promote writing, as well as comprehension is to tell stories or let kids listen to story tapes... In turkey they say "the voice is half the wisdom."
Laura - I used to do an exercise with kids where I let them choose a character: either a boy or girl, mother, witch whatever and then choose an extreme activity: like, "the boy who danced too much." Or, the lady whose hair grew down the steps and across the street.." as good starters
Linda/CA - And we also make up wildly impossible stories in which the students are the characters
Lisa - kat, is storytelling something you do everyday to prompt reading or writing? I'm not sure what to ask but I want to know more about how this can be used?
Laura - There is a genre of stories about impossible things... and about riddles and lies.. that are fantastic. mostly found in eastern Europe.
Kathleen - Lisa, I'm sure some teachers do use storytelling daily. It takes as many forms as the people who use it.
Laura - Idea: Begin each day with a small story that is a teaching tale. And it can then become a source of discussion. Heather Forest has a great book of Wisdom Tales (August House) or use my tapes.
Kathleen - Lisa, storytelling can be used to enrich language, teach history and concepts, present myths and literature, entertain. :-)
Lisa - I guess storytelling could be used as prompt special activity ... you give a beginning and let the kids figure out middle and end, acting out?
Laura - Another idea: tell an incident from your own life, a tiny tale about something from your own childhood. Or set up a storytelling chair and each day a child can sit and have a three minute storytelling time to tell something that they saw.
Lisa - Laura that's a great idea, because kids always love to tell stories! :)
Kathleen - I can't believe the hour meeting has sped so! Laura, perhaps you'll return to develop this topic further?
Linda/CA - I have a student who tells great stories -- I have started taping them -- he uses very expressive language and intonation -- especially for a 7 year old
Laura - My e-mail: storydevi@earthlink.net I would love to send lists of my tapes and books. And I write essays on storytelling and am glad to send them out.
Laura - Thank you Kathleen for inviting me, I would love to return.
Linda/CA - Thank you for coming Laura. I enjoyed this chat very much.
Kathleen - Laura, then I will be in touch to set up another session. Thank you for sharing your time, and have a wonderful experience at the National Storytelling gathering!
Laura - Goodnight everyone and may you live happily ever after.
Kathleen - A terrific ending, thanks, Laura!
Lisa - what a cute good-bye,...
Kathleen - Thank you to all participants!
