Creative Storytelling: Techniques That Engage
To unlock the magic of bedtime stories and foster a love for reading, we’ve gathered insights from seven creative professionals, including a Copywriter and an Author. They share strategies ranging from personalizing with creative prose to engaging all ages in storytime, offering a treasure trove of storytelling techniques to captivate your child’s imagination.
- Personalize With Creative Prose
- Enhance Engagement With Distinct Voices
- Innovate With Visual Storytelling
- Incorporate Problem-Solving in Stories
- Connect With Interactive Storytelling
- Relate Narratives to Real Life
- Engage All Ages in Storytime
Personalize With Creative Prose
Often, books don’t have to be read word-for-word. Changing wording slightly can enhance the story or even personalize it, but keep the topic, tone, and concepts the same.
As a writer, I will sometimes notice that a sentence isn’t structured just right, and I change it up on the fly—this is especially true for older books that were written with a slightly different style of prose. That, along with slightly exaggerated voice inflections, keeps stories more relevant and engaging.
Scott Sery
Copywriter, Sery Content Development
Enhance Engagement With Distinct Voices
I have always read books to my kids with different voices for different characters. Using different tones and inflections in my voice has made the kids more engaged in the books. They ask me to read more, and now that they are reading, they have great fluency and also read with varying tones and inflections.
By employing this creative storytelling technique of using distinct voices and tones for different characters when reading to my children, I’ve noticed several positive outcomes:
Increased Engagement: The use of varied voices and inflections has captured my children’s attention and made the stories more engaging. They actively listen and become more immersed in the narratives.
Encouraged More Reading: My children’s enthusiasm for storytelling has extended to their reading. They now enjoy picking up books and reading aloud with the same enthusiasm and creativity, which has improved their fluency.
Enhanced Comprehension: The use of different voices helps clarify character dynamics and emotions, leading to better comprehension. It also encourages discussions about the story, characters, and plot.
Strengthened Bonds: Storytime has become a bonding experience for our family. The interactive nature of reading with unique voices and tones has fostered a love for books and quality time spent together.
Overall, employing creative storytelling techniques like using distinct voices has not only made reading enjoyable but has also contributed to my children’s development as confident readers with a deeper appreciation for literature.
Suzanne Ricci
Chief Success Officer, Computer Coach Training Center
Innovate With Visual Storytelling
Experiment with different storytelling techniques, such as using a shadow-puppet theater, creating a digital story with animations, or even writing a song inspired by the story. This helps create a unique and engaging experience for both parents and the child. For example, one strategy could be to use a shadow-puppet theater to bring the story to life.
By using a flashlight and cut-out puppets, the parent can cast shadows on a white sheet or wall, making the characters visually captivating. This technique enhances the child’s imagination and creates a memorable storytelling experience.
Yoana Wong
Co-Founder, Secret Florists
Incorporate Problem-Solving in Stories
As an adept CEO in education, I apply problem-solving tactics to stories. I place characters in situations where they must devise smart solutions. We brainstorm solutions together and weigh the pros and cons before the characters make their move.
This makes the story more thrilling and inculcates problem-solving skills in my child. The outcome is twofold: She is now a better problem solver, and our bedtime stories have taken on the flavor of thrilling detective mysteries!
Nooran Zafarmand
Co-Founder and CEO, Japamana
Connect With Interactive Storytelling
One effective strategy I use is incorporating interactive elements into storytelling. This involves asking open-ended questions about the story, encouraging my child to predict what might happen next, or even inviting them to create an alternate ending.
This approach makes the reading experience more engaging and stimulates their imagination and critical-thinking skills. The outcome has been remarkable, with my child showing increased interest in books and storytelling, and a noticeable improvement in their creative expression.
Einav Biri, CEO, FARUZO
Relate Narratives to Real Life
When reading to my child, I employ creative storytelling techniques by weaving narratives that relate to items they encounter in real life and by substituting characters with real people they know. For instance, I might transform everyday objects into enchanting elements of a story, like turning a simple tree in our neighborhood into a magical tree with talking animals.
Additionally, I replace fictional characters with real individuals from our lives, inserting their names and attributes into the story. This personalized approach captivates my child’s imagination and fosters a deeper connection to the narrative.
It sparks curiosity, engagement, and a sense of familiarity, enabling my child to see themselves and their surroundings within the story, fostering a love for storytelling, and enhancing their imaginative thinking.
Andrew Chung
Founder, Best Cafe Designs
Engage All Ages in Storytime
As an educator, I had the unique opportunity to read the Tuttle Twins series to a class of 15 kids aged 7-12. Trying to engage each age group at the same time was going to be the toughest challenge of my life. The book series is filled with quality-of-life lessons and skills, but for students spanning multiple ages, it requires unique techniques.
Incorporate all your kids, regardless of age, into storytime. Even though a book may be way under the reading level of some of your kids, improve your questioning skills to bring out different perspectives from each of them.
Your older kids can take on the role of a leader to your younger children and encourage your younger children to develop their ideas and be willing to share them. Older youth modeling behaviors for younger students have been shown to improve learning outcomes and critical thinking skills.
Jason Lupo
Host and Author, Faith Family Fitness
Submit Your Answer
Would you like to submit an alternate answer to the question, “How do you employ creative storytelling techniques when reading to your child? Share a strategy and its outcome.”