The Art of Storytelling
We are so pleased to share that Seattle Waldorf School was featured in the most recent edition of Seattle’s Child Magazine in their article focused on the art of storytelling. Our very own, Grade 2 Class Teacher Laura Cox and Grade School Director, Dru Smith-Crain were interviewed and shared the importance of oral storytelling in Waldorf Education.
Laura Cox, grade 2 teacher, tells her class a story as part of the curriculum
At Waldorf schools, we fundamentally believe in storytelling. Student’s love for reading is nurtured through this immersive approach. Early years focus on oral language and storytelling, developing a love of story that helps build concentration and foster the joy of reading. Stories support the integration of knowledge, compassion, empathy, cultural competency, and artistry throughout the grade school journey. Students in the lower grades may hear a folktale that incorporates a lesson of community, while a middle school student may hear a biography of a courageous explorer or inventor.
This use of storytelling is relational – it varies with each telling and is created by everyone in the room, through voice, through imagination, through experience. In an academic setting, we know that stories become more entrenched in our learning because they incorporate facts with feelings. They also promote a flexibility of thinking by fostering imagination, memory, curiosity and wonder.
And research supports what we know and do in Waldorf Education. Students’ listening comprehension supports their reading comprehension which then fosters their literacy and writing outcomes. Students who have been surrounded by rich language and creativity, are able to interact with the world more creatively, compassionately, and with a deeper understanding.
