Date of Award

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

First Advisor

Jerusha Beckerman

Second Advisor

Emily Cullen-Dunn

Third Advisor

Lorayne Carbon

Abstract

Weall have stories waiting to be told, and this thesis intends to explore the ways in which we as educators can support children as innate storytellers and nurture a love of storytelling. Storytelling f irst emerges through imaginative play during early childhood, and lends itself to the development of literacy skills they can later use to tell their stories. The continuation of play-based learning for upper elementary students is necessary in maintaining their original voice and imagination alive in their storymaking. Along with oral and written stories, we have to embrace dramatic arts and visual storytelling as mediums for students to create stories and express themselves without barriers. In the writer's workshop, teachers take on the role of story-supporter, where they provide scaffolding for the diverse range of storytellers and build a relationship where they feel wholly seen and heard by not just the teacher, but their peers as well. All of these ideas advocating for children's stories to be honored in the classroom contribute to the bigger picture of fostering a sense of belonging and connectedness, as it is an empowering feeling they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.

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