The Importance of Telling Stories:
How Children Learning By Sharing Their Voice
A note to the children from the daughter:
My daddy has something to say to the adults... but you might find it a little boring, so feel free to sing your favorite song while you wait.Have fun. -- Josie
A note to parents and educators from the daddy:
As an educator and parent, I am thrilled that my daughter and her imaginary friends (her baby monsters) have taken on an active life outside our home.Josie, like all children, likes to tell stories and loves it when someone has the time to listen. As she continues to develop her communication skills and explore her imagination through the My Baby Monsters story sharing community and podcast, I hope you and your family (or class) are inspired to join us and to play your own storytelling games.
Stories help people define their world. And by helping children develop the necessary skills to become an effective storyteller, you help them become effective communicators... a skill that is necessary for the future.
Fortunately, its easy for a child to become a great storyteller, all he or she needs is a patient audience that loves to play.
I love my daughter's imagination, and am continually surprised by her ability to grasp advanced storytelling concepts. She is keenly aware of cultural differences and is able to bridge the gap between herself and her audience through meta narratives and context.
As Josie grows, her baby monsters' roles change too. Some of the baby monsters are now children that go to school... some of them live in far away counties... and some of them are even extremely naughty. In this way, the baby monsters, like stories can help children confront challenges, as well as better understand the world around them.
As Josie and I continue to grow, so too will My Baby Monsters. I hope you enjoy this development and that you and your family (or class) are encouraged to share your stories as well.
Have fun. -- Michael Baumgarten, M.Ed.
A note to the children from the daughter:
Okay, you can stop singing now.Have fun. -- Josie
