Kids

What does it take to tell a GREAT story to preschoolers?

Today I stood in the back of our preschool large group environment and watched an incredible storyteller capture the attention of about 200 three and four-year-olds. She had them in the palm of her hand. They were laughing. They were touching their nose. They were whispering. They were yelling the bottom line.

They were getting it!

The bottom line that we were teaching was: I can love God with all my heart.

The Greatest Commandment!

Several months ago we lead a training with all of our storytellers. Today, I watched several of the things that we talked about modeled larger than life. Jessica, our storyteller, was a natural. She was a passionate communicator. Our kids got it today!

If you want to be a better preschool storyteller, here are a few things you need to know:

1. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

You really can’t repeat enough. Preschoolers love to master information. They want to say it with you. You’ve even got to go as far as to make sure you say it the same way every time. That’s what preschoolers are looking for.

So if you have say: “one, two, three,” counting on your fingers and then point to the kids and they yell back at to you, “God loves me!” Then you’ve got to do it the same way, with the same motions, every single time.

2. Solicit a response.

Remember, preschoolers are learning so many new things. Their drive at this stage in their development is to master all of the new information coming at them. A really great technique that will help you engage young children is to ask them a question. They LOVE to know the answer!

And keeping with point number one…repeat the same question in order to get the answer you are looking for. An example would be, Storyteller: “God loves you with all his heart! Who loves you?” Kids: “God does!” Storyteller: “Who loves you?” Kids: “God does!” Storyteller: “That’s right! God loves you with all of his heart!”

3. Connect an action.

Connecting an action to the bottom line that you are trying to teach is another great way to make sure that it sticks! Actions are fun! Actions make things memorable.

So don’t just say, “God made the world and everything in it.” Instead, point up to God, then spread your arms wide when you say “made the world”, and spin in a circle as you drag out the phrase “everything in it.” That’s how you make a bottom line stick!

4. Be Dramatic!

Preschoolers are primed to use their imagination. They spend a significant amount of their time pretending. Their learning and development is tied to their ability to use their imagination and pretend.

We need to capitalize on this! Don’t just tell them about how Jesus calmed the storm. Have them create thunder by pounding on their legs and lighting by clapping above their heads. They can create wind by swooshing their arms and blowing through their mouth and rain coming down with their fingertips in the air above their head.

If Jesus is feeding 5,000 people with one small boys lunch. Then let them make a lunch too! Pretend with them to make a sandwich with their hands and spread on the peanut butter and swirl on the jelly and slap that bread together. Then let them take a great big bite and rub their tummy and say yummmm!

5. Pause.

I like to call this the “preschool pause.”  This is the idea of slowing down and giving little one’s the time they need to respond. When a preschool child responds, that means they are with you. That means they are learning. So if you do something funny as you tell your story, pause, and make room for them to laugh. That means they are with you.

Or if you make a sad face, because your story is sad. Then pause. Let them make a sad face too. That means they are with you. That means they are listening. That means they are learning.

6. Change your tone.

Be loud. Make a gruff voice. Whine. Cry. Sing. Whisper. Say it high and squeaky. Low and sad. Fast. And very, very, very slow. Change captures their attention. Use it strategically in the story. Use it to your advantage.

I love Bible stories! They are so full of emotion, drama, passion, and many unbelievable and fantastic scenes. They are the stories that tell us what God is really like. They are the stories that tell us who God wants us to be and how he wants us to live.

Teaching our preschoolers the truth that comes from these Bible stories has the power to impact their lives forever. It’s a job that’s worth doing well!

What technique do you like to use when teaching preschoolers?