Storytelling: A Pathway to Literacy
 Related Website Resources
Storytelling on the Web
Aaron Shepard’s Storytelling Page
This children’s author and storyteller has provided a collection of resources for storytellers, including background information, articles of interest to storyteller, and recommended readings. His specialty is retelling folktales and traditional stories from around the world. The Gifts of Story section uncludes storytelling adaptations of his picture books.
Children’s Literature Web Guide, Resources for Storytellers
This page gives links to many other Internet sites on storytelling.
Handbook for Storytellers
The Handbook covers the origins and purpose of storytelling and provides practical suggestions for developing storytelling skills. The site administrator has included tips on choosing, learning, and telling stories and an extensive reference and bibliography section.
The Storytelling Ring
This site leads to more than 150 web sites organized in three categories: Storytellers; Organizations, Guilds, Festivals; and Resources. The Ring includes many of the sites described here and many more. Here are a few examples:
- August House (www.augusthouse.com), is a publisher of of storytelling guides and folktale anthologies.
- Heartland Story League is a membership group of storytellers in the south suburbs of Chicago, IL. The "Links" section of their web page is particularly useful.
- Stories Galore (www.storygalore.com), features the activities of the Nebraska Storytelling Festival.
- Story Connection (www.storyconnection.net), includes storytelling activities, a library, a section for children to explore, and links to other sites.
- Yellow Moon Press (www.yellowmoon.com), publishers and distributors of storytelling books and tapes.
International Storytelling Center web site encourages people all over the world to capture and tell their stories, listen to the stories of others, and use storytelling to produce positive change.
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Storytelling for Children and Families
The Gene Pool
www.rootsweb.com/~genepool/index.htm
Joanne Todd Rabun has compiled a list of questions to help children and adults get started recording family histories:
Family Education Network
www.familyeducation.com
The Family Education Network, a Reading Is Fundamental partner, provides a number of articles on family storytelling authored by Odds Bodkin, a storyteller and children’s author. Here are a few examples of what you’ll find at this site:
The Importance of Family Stories
www.lili.org/isl/readtome/family.htm
Read to Me, a program of the Idaho State Library offers a brief article encourages families to get started telling family stories to their children.
The Kid’s Storytelling Club
www.storycraft.com
This site is for children who want to write and tell their own stories. There are sections for creating stories and story-related crafts and activities. The parent-teacher-leader page offers suggestions for adults and links to resources. New ideas and suggestions are added each month.
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Storytelling Groups Sharing Stories and More
International Reading Association,
Storytellers Special Interest Group
c/o Sandy H. Smith
156 Reed Lane
Cookeville, TN 38506
E-mail: shsmith@tntech.edu
The members of this special interest group work to ". . . promote storytelling as an instructional tool within the total school curriculum and serve as a network for sharing storytelling ideas and information. The group publishes a newsletter, Once Upon a Times.
Storytelling Foundation International
116 W. Main St.
Jonesborough, TN 37659
www.storytellingfoundation.net
The Storytelling Foundation International, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, was founded more than 25 years ago. The Foundation focuses on creative applications of storytelling in health and healing, conflict prevention and resolution, leadership and management, and children, youth, and families. Later this year, the Foundation will open the National Storytelling Center in historic Jonesborough, TN. The Center will include the 200-year-old Chester Inn, a library, and an education and interpretation building.
Each fall the Foundation sponsors the National Storytelling Festival (http://www.storytellingfestival.net/) which brings storytellers from around the country and the world to Jonesborough. Storytellers who attended this year’s festival are featured in the RIF Exchange 202: Storytelling: A Pathway to Literacy.
National Storytelling Network
116 1/2 West Main Street
Jonesborough, Tennessee 37659
www.storynet.org
The National Storytelling Network (NSN) is a membership organization for storytellers and those who support storytelling. It provides a variety of services designed to improve the quality of storytelling in entertainment and educational settings. For example:
- A National Storytelling Conference with workshops, demonstrations, and an awards ceremony.
- Tellabration!, a night of storytelling around the world.
- Storytelling Magazine
- A national storytelling directory
- A member roster
- StoryNet, a website with information on services, a calendar, and links to storytelling resources.
Storytell Listserv
http://www.twu.edu/COPE/slis/storytell.htm
This free listserv, administered at Texas Women’s University, is a forum for e-mail discussions on topics relating to storytelling. Storytellers from around the world share information about resources, tips, and more, as well as offering support for storytelling and storytellers. Visit the web site to learn how to become a member.
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