Storytelling method of teaching for teaching history

History as a subject in Indian schools was originally presented in stories. Storytelling method of teaching for teaching history in Indian schools, particularly at their early school classes, should be taught history, as a series of stories. Teaching history in chronological date of events, is the normal method, but adopting applied form of teaching storytelling can give them immense engagement, better retention of subject. It extends the school children imagination and develops their creative powers to imagine the turn of events in history if it is presented with art of storytelling. There are mainly three types of stories : (1) True stories, (2) Myths and (3) Legends.

Thus, the stories are the rich sources of history and are interesting only when it is presented with the storytelling skills. History as a subject is taught in every Indian school class, segmented for different ages of children. However, it is through the stories the context of history with much satisfactory result. However, truth cannot be sacrificed for the sake of teaching history interestingly. Hence the true stories or the stories having elements of truth can be utilized for teaching history. It is, therefore, imperative to select suitable stories for storytelling for the purpose.

Story-telling is an art and it is a skillful teaching process that one can learn over a period of time results in higher children engagement in classroom, higher interest towards the subject history, and better retention of subject. Success in learning storytelling method mostly depends on school teacher competence in Indian schools. Both these factors, the selection of stories in the manner series of stories and their presentation in school classrooms is extremely important for storytelling method of teaching for teaching history in Indian schools. The former method depends on the history teacher’s knowledge as well as understanding while the latter depends on teacher’s skill in story-telling.  Story-telling is an art and it is a skilful teaching process where imagery, dramatization to project the stories having elements of truth, is needed to weave a story out of history.

It implies that Indian school children signing up for storytelling course in 2021, means they are reaching out and connecting with new methods of learning and applied from of teaching. Stories can link not only between the child’s world of classroom and home environment but also between the Indian school classroom and beyond.

– @UniversityofSt3