Storytelling at family literacy events

Last week I sent out this postcard to about 800 schools:




I love telling stories at school Family Nights. Sometimes the kids--and even the adults--come in pajamas. Sometimes they bring sleeping bags and quilts to snuggle up on to listen to stories. Sometimes the PTA or PTO has multiple activities, including reading aloud in family groups. It's exciting for the kids to be at school for a special event, where they can show their parents their domain and they have a little more leeway for horsing around with their friends. I clearly remember running full tilt down the corridor at John Howland Elementary School in 5th grade at an evening program, something I never would have done during the school day ("corridor" is the word we used in Rhode Island--in Kansas and elsewhere, people are more likely to say "hallway").

Hmm, that sounds like it's always wild, doesn't it? It isn't. When families listen to stories together, they settle right in, participating at the appropriate times, enjoying the stories completely. As the theme is literacy, I tell my favorite stories from books, including lots of Robert Munsch stories (with his permission). I often end with the story of the Gunniwolf, a quieting tale perfect for sending everybody home peacefully.

It's a treat for us all.