How Storytelling Enhances Creative Intelligence...

By Nidhi Kundra

a Teacher, a Storyteller, a Playwright

 

 As was beautifully quoted in a book I read, "...success depends not only on processing familiar information but also on generating useful solutions to new problems."

And so it has been noted well enough that creative thinkers can bring out skillful solutions in challenging times. In a world overridden by technology and entertainment devices, it is very easy to engage young children in colorful videos. However, the visual platform is one-way learning that already tells the child what to think, what to imagine and even what to believe! So basically the brain, our thinking organ becomes a dumping ground for information fed through a series of musical visuals. 

Where then is the child thinking?

Storytelling and the Child

Books interest the child-

When I opened a simple picture book for my one-year old niece, she was intrigued by the pictures! She tried to feel them and name them too, in her own way! A child has a natural interest in books. Holding a book before them and reading out from it amazes them to no end! Storytelling sessions arouse curiosity in children, holding their attention longer than the usual toys and other paraphernalia. 

Developing the essential life skills-

Storytelling is an interactive process in which as the plot unfolds, the child becomes more and more involved. It develops patience and listening skills, and in the long run, increases focus which is crucial to any task at hand. 

The child will begin to think like the characters and will be ready to engage and explore possibilities of where the story can lead. As the thinking capacity of the child increases, so does the emotional quotient and empathy. The child learns to focus their attention to the person who is narrating the story, i.e., the person right in front of them. The very moment of story narration becomes important, hence, now becomes important. Right from the start they would cherish living in the moment. While the child may think of a possible ending, the story may actually go another way, this will encourage the child to respect the opinion of others. This also enables thinking from the perspective of other people! Storytelling naturally, then, becomes essential for healthy community living. 

Appreciating cultural diversity and virtues- 

Stories are a child's window to the whole world. They not only introduce the children to their own culture but also to the diversity in their environment. Stories aim at self-learning  when the child infers the moral of the story and understands its practical application. Right from the start, they understand the use of similes and parables, as has been the pattern in Panchatantra Tales, Jataka, Hitopdesha Tales, Aesop's fables, etc. A moral lecture may not stay with the child as much as a story that has engrossed the child emotionally, and may actually come handy in handling a real-life situation. Researchers have affirmed the similarity in brain activity while listening to a story vs that in real-life situation. 

Storytelling with Differently-abled Children-

Storytelling has a therapeutic effect on children with special abilities. Storytelling is a proven tool to help children on Autism Spectrum master language skills, improve listening time and hence attention, develop curiosity and creativity. The fact that a storyteller is always part-teacher and part-entertainer, makes the whole process meaningful and satisfying for the children with diverse needs. Kartab Theatre has involved any children with diverse needs through plays and storytelling sessions, where the children have made use of interesting props to share well-known stories. The joy of accomplishment can be seen as an attestation to the stated fact- 

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If you want your children to be smart, tell them stories. If you want them to be brilliant, tell them more stories. 

- Albert Einstein