Why Grandparents Should Make Great Storytellers!

September 10th is Grandparent’s day.

So we have a guest post by Susan Day

Susan Day is a passionate author, educator and, of course, a grandmother. She wants to allow all grandparents to build meaningful relationships with their grandchildren. 

 

The role of grandparents has changed dramatically over the past years.

Never before have we grandparents had access to some much time and resources. In fact, I’m of the opinion that we are in the ‘Golden Age’ of grandparenting, an era never before seen in history.

Without a doubt, we are truly blessed to be able to share our time and resources with our beloved grandchildren. We can speak to them in ‘real time’ across the globe, share photos and images online, as well as, interact in ways our grandparents couldn’t have dreamed of.

One of the most significant things any grandparent can do is spend quality time with their grandkids on a regular basis.

And, what better way to create long-lasting memories than by sharing books and stories?

Reading Out LOUD!

There are two ways to read a story to your grandchildren. 

The first way involves just reading the words on the page in an effort to inform and convey the meaning of the story. To be honest, this is quite boring. Sure, you are reading to them, but are you really connecting with them?

The other way – a truly more fantastic way – is to read out LOUD!

And, I mean really loud and engaging.

Don’t just read the words.

Instead, live and act them out.

Use your voice to bring to life the storyline, as well as, the characters. Give each character a different sounding voice to add more meaning to what they are saying.

And, don’t forget to stop at the end of the page or chapter to add more suspense. You could even stop mid-sentence and ask your grandchild if he or she knows what is going to happen next.

Stop and discuss the illustrations as you go. Use them to put the story into context. For example, you might say, “Look, the little pig has built a house of straw.”

Learning to Become a Great Storyteller 

Not everyone is born a natural storyteller. Some people find it natural to just sit down and unravel an amazing story from out of thin air.

If you are very good at telling stories, then go forth and confidently share your skills with your grandchildren.

If not, don’t despair.

By simply practicing your storytelling skills you will improve. While you are reading, look for ways where you can improve. As you get more practice, your skills and then your confidence will improve.

You will know you are doing the right thing when your grandchildren cry out for more when you’ve finished reading to them.

Our grandchildren have more and more things to distract their developing minds, and many are not learning the necessary literary tools they need to enhance their educational chances.

As grandparents, we have the opportunity and the means to bring books alive in an effort to make reading more enjoyable and rewarding. Our grandchildren should not only love reading but be excited about writing and using the written word as a powerful tool to connect with others.

Together we grandparents can really make a difference.

More about Susan Day

 Susan lives in country Australia with four dogs, three bossy cats, three rescue guinea pigs, and an errant kangaroo.

Discover what the Top 10 Things Happy Grandparents Never Regret Doing.