KAWAN...AKU PAPINTO BADUT, PENDONGENG DARI INDONESIA,
Gimana ya cara "mengendalikan" anak2 usia 5th
agar mau mendengarkan sebuah dongeng?
Gimana ya cara "mengendalikan" anak2 usia 5th
agar mau mendengarkan sebuah dongeng?
Dear Papinto,
Here in America the tribes in precolonial times would tell stories from first frost until spring came. The nights were long and stories began at the beginning of time and continued until the present moment. Storytellers had to keep their young audiences awake, alert, and listening. They used a game. "hey-ho". At any time during the story the teller would say "Hey!" the listeners would respond "Ho!" Any one who was not listening an missed saying "Ho!" would be embarrassed. Maybe pinched or poked. Perhaps made to tell the part of the story he or she missed. Then again some one of the alert listeners would tell that part of the story to the lazy listener. When I tell Jack and the Beanstalk I will say "Jack jumped up..." and the audience must respond "...bold as brass!" Give them something to listen for and respond to. It will help. But there will always be problem kids. Be strong!
Paul Fegan, ********an@yahoo.com, USA
Hi Papinto,
As a storyteller, I always do interactive "drama" with the audience...the children and the adults. It especially puts the children on high alert as to perhaps having to make the noise of the animals I tell about...or to shake the rain sticks for rain in my stories...or to be ready to become "The Ugly Prince" and "The Handsome Toad." I never ever do any story drama without at least two adults in the room with me. I am the storyteller. ..and there are always those children with limited attention spans, not feeling particularly well that day, or not well focused. If minor interruptions occur, I usually find some way to make the children giggle and distract them from the interruption. However, if I have major interruptions, I expect my adult helper to remove that child from the story drama group. It is only fair to those children who expect to listen and participate in story drama. Good luck with it all.
Pam Steadman, amuc******5@yahoo.com - USA
Hi Papinto,
I don't know about Indonesia, but here in the United States we have a lot of kids who are growing up with things being fed into them (computers, tv, videos, etc.) that does not require them to use imagination or listening skills. This is really a serious societal problem and I have heard storytellers, teachers, therapists all say the same thing. I try to get the kids involved as much as possible. Chanting, repeating, helping me with the story, using props, etc. I try to walk that fine line between being a true storyteller (who I am today) and being a children's entertainer (who I used to be). I have always said there should be support groups for performers who do kid shows. Oh, the stories....
Hope the support helps. I feel your pain.
Susi Wolf, s******@yahoo.com
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Dear Papinto,
I think most people forget that children haveshort attention span when faced with extended activities.They are more interested in various visual movement and activities rather than words, or in some cases learning. I think when I see successful children TV shows (and the ever popular edutainment) , there is a characteristic that guarantee success: - Exagerated active movements - Bright colorful visual displays - Characteristic identity recognition for main character (Like: O-oh for Teletubbies, colorful identity habits of Sasame Streets' characters, Pikachu's concentration from Pokemon, etc.) - And don't forget to respect children as intellectual being. They might be innocent and asking silly questions, but behind those questions, there is intelligent interaction that they require to understand whatever you are talking about. I suggested that when you tell a story: - enact the story with exagerated movement that children can copy to let them understand the story - use colorful displays (like backdrops or character dolls) - interact and talk to them to find out if they understand, and to let them know that you care - and don't forget, there is nothing silly about acting like children in front of children Hope these input helps.
M. Anton Sim, ma*******72@yahoo.com MAS - Indonesia
Hi Papinto!
I believe that visual and movement activities are vital, I also think changing voices for various characters, putting unusual sound effects in stories, perhaps having a song for sing-along purposes and using other sensual language helps. Acting out a story with volunteers from the audience with repetitive lines may help too.
Gilbert Busch, g********h@comcast.net - England
Dear Papinto,
Things may be different in some ways in Indonesia than in America with the culture and children. I don't know. I haven't had the pleasure of traveling to Indonesia yet. Here, in the Deep South where I tell stories, it is usually assumed that storytelling is for the pre-school audience and caregivers. Kid's have SHORT attention spans here as well.Here in America the tribes in precolonial times would tell stories from first frost until spring came. The nights were long and stories began at the beginning of time and continued until the present moment. Storytellers had to keep their young audiences awake, alert, and listening. They used a game. "hey-ho". At any time during the story the teller would say "Hey!" the listeners would respond "Ho!" Any one who was not listening an missed saying "Ho!" would be embarrassed. Maybe pinched or poked. Perhaps made to tell the part of the story he or she missed. Then again some one of the alert listeners would tell that part of the story to the lazy listener. When I tell Jack and the Beanstalk I will say "Jack jumped up..." and the audience must respond "...bold as brass!" Give them something to listen for and respond to. It will help. But there will always be problem kids. Be strong!
Paul Fegan, ********an@yahoo.com, USA
Hi Papinto,
As a storyteller, I always do interactive "drama" with the audience...the children and the adults. It especially puts the children on high alert as to perhaps having to make the noise of the animals I tell about...or to shake the rain sticks for rain in my stories...or to be ready to become "The Ugly Prince" and "The Handsome Toad." I never ever do any story drama without at least two adults in the room with me. I am the storyteller. ..and there are always those children with limited attention spans, not feeling particularly well that day, or not well focused. If minor interruptions occur, I usually find some way to make the children giggle and distract them from the interruption. However, if I have major interruptions, I expect my adult helper to remove that child from the story drama group. It is only fair to those children who expect to listen and participate in story drama. Good luck with it all.
Pam Steadman, amuc******5@yahoo.com - USA
Hi Papinto,
I don't know about Indonesia, but here in the United States we have a lot of kids who are growing up with things being fed into them (computers, tv, videos, etc.) that does not require them to use imagination or listening skills. This is really a serious societal problem and I have heard storytellers, teachers, therapists all say the same thing. I try to get the kids involved as much as possible. Chanting, repeating, helping me with the story, using props, etc. I try to walk that fine line between being a true storyteller (who I am today) and being a children's entertainer (who I used to be). I have always said there should be support groups for performers who do kid shows. Oh, the stories....
Hope the support helps. I feel your pain.
Susi Wolf, s******@yahoo.com
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Dear Papinto,
I think most people forget that children haveshort attention span when faced with extended activities.They are more interested in various visual movement and activities rather than words, or in some cases learning. I think when I see successful children TV shows (and the ever popular edutainment) , there is a characteristic that guarantee success: - Exagerated active movements - Bright colorful visual displays - Characteristic identity recognition for main character (Like: O-oh for Teletubbies, colorful identity habits of Sasame Streets' characters, Pikachu's concentration from Pokemon, etc.) - And don't forget to respect children as intellectual being. They might be innocent and asking silly questions, but behind those questions, there is intelligent interaction that they require to understand whatever you are talking about. I suggested that when you tell a story: - enact the story with exagerated movement that children can copy to let them understand the story - use colorful displays (like backdrops or character dolls) - interact and talk to them to find out if they understand, and to let them know that you care - and don't forget, there is nothing silly about acting like children in front of children Hope these input helps.
M. Anton Sim, ma*******72@yahoo.com MAS - Indonesia
Hi Papinto!
I believe that visual and movement activities are vital, I also think changing voices for various characters, putting unusual sound effects in stories, perhaps having a song for sing-along purposes and using other sensual language helps. Acting out a story with volunteers from the audience with repetitive lines may help too.
Gilbert Busch, g********h@comcast.net - England
Dear Papinto,
I do enjoy telling to all age groups including pre-schoolers (ages 3-5) because each audience has a special pleasure. I prefer to have gigs with different ages but the bulk of my bookings is for that young age.
Generally it helps if a story does not last longer than a minute per year of age. I keep most of my stories at a three to five minute length. Before, after and sometimes during the story, the kids will sing a song with me, gesture along and so on. The more involved they are the better. Stories with refrains or words that will be repeated at predicable times are great for this age.
It helps to have colorful or interesting props, puppets and other "eye catchers." With older groups I use very few props but with the little kids it really helps them focus. It helps if they can sit on the floor and not have to be distracted by having a chair to defend. I like to go for a cozy circle as if there were a fire. I'm the fire! They absolutely LOVE stories with animal sounds in them. They love to hear them and make them along with you. When you vary your voice, you can draw them in with sometimes with the very quiet, very loud or unexpected pause. Of course it help to have adult caregivers (parents, teachers, clergy) in the audience who have prepped the kids on what sort of behavior is expected and will quietly handle a situation when it arises. Sometimes eye contact and a brief shake of your head can alert someone that you see them doing such as punching another child and since they see you see them, they might stop. Also when they interrupt you, you can say, yes I hear you but this is not the time for that, this is the time to be quiet and listen unless I ask you.I always state what I expect the kids to do for me several times during the program. I'll start out with a song or two that they know and which have gestures to them. Then do the little "criss cross apple sauce thing, make sure you are not touching any one else or making any noise so we can all hear the first story." After the first story more songs and movement activities and then the quiet down exercise I use for that and again, with "criss cross . . ."
At the end I usually have a game or activity and that leaves them ALL up for the trip home. So many times people think storytelling is a sedate, or sleepy time activity. It's not when I do it. We have fun. They participate and hopefully take those stories around with them to share with others. Try controlling a pack of young two year olds! Now that is sometimes my greatest challenge! Five year olds can be wonderful but they will never act perfectly contained.
That's why I choose to channel them into participating in the stories.
HTH,
Stellar, ******tory@aol.com - USA.
Boleh ga ya cerita dengan kata kata yang memiliki visi
kekerasan semisal "menyembelih, membunuh,
berdarah dll" pada anak usia 5th, seperti kisah kisah
di dalam kitab suci Al qur'an dan Injil ?
kekerasan semisal "menyembelih, membunuh,
berdarah dll" pada anak usia 5th, seperti kisah kisah
di dalam kitab suci Al qur'an dan Injil ?
Dear Papinto,
I would think that question has a different answer depending on the culture and religion of the kids families. Here in the Deep Southern United States, I could not use words like that around 5 year olds.
Stellar, ******tory@aol.com - USA.
Papinto -
Many little kids enjoy Bible stories - you just have to adapt your language a bit to fit in with their sensibilities & ability to understand. You don't have to say that David killed Goliath to get your across. You could just say something like,
"David and Goliath had their fight." (They will understand that.)
"David put a stone in his sling and threw it at Goliath."
(Then you have to decide if you want to sidetrack with a discussion on
how we don't throw stones at our friends & siblings! ;-))
"He hit Goliath with the stone, and the giant fell down. David had won
the fight."You don't have to be graphic.
As the audience gets older, you can add more details appropriate to their age group. The appropriate age may be different in different cultures.Unfortunately, most kids here in the U.S. are exposed to so much violence that they probably understand more than we wish they would, at an earlier age than we would desire.It might be helpful to you to get a children's book of Bible stories, and see how they have been made age-appropriate. It would give you an idea of what the standard depth/explicitness of detail would be for your area.
Good luck!
Judith Mcmahon
c******on@galynx.com-USA
Hi Papinto,
I use some of the Bible Stories from time ti time they are just great for two reasons, Everyone just about knows them and they are a great set of stories for all ages and secondly its like children's toys there are too types the first the children like and the other the parents think are good for them, the bible stories almost guarantee a repeat booking either for the next year or for the younger spouses.
Also here in the UK we have a lot of Saints almost one for every day If whoever it was got to be a saint then there story is well worth the looking into specially the one local to where you are telling most of the community will roughly know the story and will listen very attentively whatever the age on the run up to Christmas for instance i get asked to tell St Nicholas time and time again. another which is popular is St Bartholomew who built a hospital in London in the 14th century which they named after him and St Hugh of Lincoln who met with Robin Hood a couple of From time to time it worth knowing some of the modern day parables the BIble hasn't been added to for two centuries so the is stuff about that would be in a new one if anyone was going to write another about now some arrant up to standard and others can come over as preaching and not telling.
For the little ones try using Mr Wiggle And Mr Waggle its very visual but
they can join in
Mike
AR******E@aol.com - UK
