Creative Communication Skills - 6

I rarely pick up a book and feel convinced that it has the power to change lives dramatically, but this book is in that category. Written to help you and your children become storytellers, the book also has the potential to bring families together, develop writing skills, boost personal self-confidence, and help alleviate public speaking fears. The author, John Walsh, begins by sharing his struggles with stuttering and his tremendous fear of talking to anyone, let alone attempting public speaking. He explains how God called him and equipped him, and he encourages you to answer God's call as well, whatever that might be. The text walks you through a series of gradual steps designed to develop your skills as a storyteller. According to the author, today's listeners are "story thinkers", those who respond to and remember information better that is presented in story format. Whether you are a novice or have been public speaking for years, the author makes the process comfortable and easy for you, telling you where to find your stories, explaining the initial reading and practicing steps, and teaching you a variety of techniques to become a master storyteller. After you are guided through the 14 steps you are ready to share your first story with a practice audience. Before you jump in, the author recommends that you begin by reading the book front to back to gain a foundation of understanding in storytelling. After completing this initial reading, you should then read through the material again, completing each chapter's suggested activities to give you practical experience with each step that is taught. Please note that this book will be far more effective if done in a group setting, as most activities are group-based. A great introductory course for public speaking or a smart pre-requisite for a story writing course. Just as we begin life by learning to speak before learning to write, this text will develop the ability for oral expression of stories and help students to internalize a grasp of language, plot, structure, characterization, and many other elements needed for good writing.

Although The Art of Storytelling is excellent as a stand-alone resource, you can use it as the basis for a one-semester course in public speaking/storytelling/communication skills with the addition of the Creative Communication Skills Study Guides. Each guide corresponds with several chapters of The Art of Storytelling text. Guides contain reading assignments from the text, activities based on the text, practice assignments, chapter quizzes and tests. Answers to the guide worksheets, quizzes and tests are found in the Score Key but no teacher evaluation is included in the key for the practice activities (which are more hands-on speaking activities). The guides and answer key are available individually, or in a set that contains all six guides and the answer key. ~ Caryl/Deanne