園長日誌：喜歡聽故事嗎？先試著喜歡講故事A Rediscovered Story and Conversation

A Rediscovered Story and Conversation from May 9, 2008 以下是偶然間翻到的故事與對話，發生在2008年5月9日，記錄中出現了一位人物，今年重新回到種籽。

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 在我七、八歲的時候，我曾經用錄音機自導自演，扮演“黃姐姐”，模仿女生的聲音講故事，並錄下來自己聽。當時，我只是覺得這個過程非常有趣：可以說故事、玩錄音機、角色扮演成女生，再把錄音放出來聽。然而，長大後，我才發現，這段原本以為“神不知鬼不覺”的秘密，其實早已被姐姐發現並取笑了。

今天早上和Tammy老師討論講故事的技巧時，我分享了一些自己「編故事」的方法，比如把孩子的行為融入故事，只是改變主角，故事的場景和時間可以大幅變換，或是把某些行為幻化為動物、植物、星星等自然界中的一切，都可以成為故事中的角色和情節。當然，“寓言”這個詞很有意思，因為寓言故事總帶有教化的意味，似乎聽完後必須要學到一些教訓或警語。所以。把孩子的行為編到故事中我們就也稱之為孩子的「寓言故事吧」！

其實，我一直在思考一個問題： 許多舉辦說故事比賽，參賽者都會強調繪本的效果、內涵、教學與延伸，所以演出時會強調：

• 豐富的道具

• 身上掛滿東西

• 充滿誇張的語氣和表情

似乎沒有這樣的表現、裝扮和演出就很難得獎。

但我卻開始愛上了沒有繪本的說故事方式。這種方式非常有趣，因為你可以清楚看到孩子如何純粹地享受聽著語言的魅力。當我們使用繪本時，孩子透過聽覺和視覺同時感受故事的樂趣，但也被繪本中的圖畫所限定，角色的形象已由插畫定型，孩子無法自由建構屬於自己的形象。所以，故事角色的形塑是由每一位接收到故事情節內容的孩子自己決定，每個人想像出來的圖像都不一樣。在丟掉繪本後，我發現聽故事的孩子們專注力反而更高，因為他們只能靠聽覺來接收信息，並在腦中自行轉化為理解的畫面。

如果說故事者技巧得當，孩子會全神貫注地聆聽，並與故事互動。其實，只要常常講故事，自然會從孩子的回饋中不斷修正和進步。講故事時，聲調不需要過於誇張，也不一定需要道具，孩子會被故事本身吸引，沉浸在情節中。而說故事最重要的是，題材要符合孩子的年齡和興趣。為混齡的孩子們講故事，確實需要更高的技巧、觀察力和反應能力。但無論如何，我都鼓勵父母和老師多多講故事，因為說故事、聽故事，真的非常有趣！

想想看，年幼時，村中的耆老在大樹下乘涼，一邊述說古老的傳說和習俗，孩子們在旁邊玩耍、嬉戲，這樣的場景是多麼美好啊！如今，這樣的畫面恐怕只能在電影中看見了。 When I was seven or eight years old, I used to play with a tape recorder, directing and performing my own stories. I would pretend to be "Sister Huang," mimicking a girl's voice while telling stories, recording them, and then listening back to myself. At the time, I thought it was just a fun game—telling stories, playing with the tape recorder, and acting out a role. Little did I know, what I thought was a “well-kept secret” had already been discovered and teased about by my older sister.

This morning, while discussing storytelling techniques with Teacher Tammy, I shared some of my methods for "story crafting." For instance, I would incorporate children’s behavior into stories by simply changing the protagonist. The story’s setting and time could shift significantly, and behaviors could be transformed into animals, plants, or celestial beings, creating characters and plots from the natural world. The term “fable” is fascinating because fables often carry a moral lesson, as if listening to one obligates the audience to learn something. In this way, weaving a child’s behavior into a story can also be called their personal “fable.”

A Reflection on Storytelling

I’ve been pondering an intriguing question:

In storytelling competitions, participants often emphasize:

• Elaborate props

• Costumes adorned with accessories

• Exaggerated tones and expressions

It seems difficult to win without such embellishments.

However, I’ve grown fond of storytelling without picture books. This approach is fascinating because it highlights how children purely enjoy the allure of language. While picture books allow children to experience the joy of stories through both auditory and visual senses, they also constrain children’s imagination, as the illustrations define the characters’ appearances. Without picture books, I’ve observed that children’s focus actually increases—they rely solely on their hearing to receive the story and transform it into their own mental images.

If a storyteller is skilled, children will listen attentively and engage with the story. By frequently telling stories, storytellers naturally refine their skills through the feedback they receive from children. Overly exaggerated tones or props are not always necessary; children are drawn to the story itself and immerse themselves in its plot. The most critical aspect of storytelling is choosing topics that match the age and interests of the audience. Telling stories to mixed-age groups indeed requires higher levels of skill, observation, and adaptability.

Encouragement for Storytelling

I encourage parents and teachers to tell stories often because storytelling and listening to stories are truly enjoyable experiences! Imagine a scene from long ago—a village elder sitting under a large tree, sharing ancient legends and traditions while children play nearby. Such moments are beautiful, yet they seem to exist only in movies today.

Let’s bring storytelling back to life, one tale at a time.