Storytelling and QAR Strategies

The authors, both storytellers with backgrounds in education and library work, present 18 stories based on six aspects of character development. These selections, which include folktales, fables, and myths, are just right for youngsters in third through eighth grades. Each one is followed by telling tips, a story path, and questions using the QAR (Question-Answer Relationships) model. Additional sources following each story include books and related websites as well as each teller's background and contact information. A chapter on becoming a storyteller gives helpful strategies for learning and presenting stories while maintaining a sense of play. Because storytelling gives students opportunities to visualize, make inferences, and predict outcomes, it also increases reading comprehension. When paired with the process of QAR, it becomes a powerful teaching tool. The great value of this book is the depth and quality of its ready-made lessons, which will meet many mandated curriculum objectives. In this high-stakes testing environment, Hostmeyer and Kinsella have produced an array of meaningful activities that support the importance of storytelling in classrooms and libraries.—Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN