Story Telling Methods & Skills – Learning & Development Sessions

Story Telling Method of Learning - Key Skills

• Preparing and planning the story in advance.
• Setting up the listener by creating suspense and curiosity.
• Verbal pacing (pausing, speaking rates varied).

Story Telling Steps

At the beginning of a course, use stories to:

1. Help set the tone for the course.

2. Establish rapport.

3. Help create a comfortable environment.

 During the course, use stories to:

4. Help make a connection between the old and the new.

5. Create a link between complex concepts/ideas.

6. Increase learners’ attention.

7. Appeal to different learning styles.

8. Aid in the retention of information.

 At the end of the course, use stories to:

9. Aid in the retention of the information.

10. Illustrate what has been learned.

Guidelines for Storytelling

• Know your audience and select stories that are appropriate to that group.
• Check your story for anything that may make someone uncomfortable. Even true stories can embarrass someone if they were around when it happened.
• Be especially wary of stories that accidently make fun of a culture or belief.
• Make sure the story makes sense and is relevant to the course content.
• Make sure the connection between the story and the course content is clear for the learners.
• Make the story short and to the point. Even a good story that goes on too long loses steam.
• Find a way to get the learner involved in the storytelling. For example, give them the beginning of the story and let them finish it. Provide them with clear instructions on what you would like them to produce as it relates to the course.
• Regardless of when you tell a story, there are several other delivery guidelines to keep in mind:
• Be real; tell stories that fit who you are.
• Pay attention to your tone, pace, volume, and non-verbal cues.
• Use the story to teach, not preach. This can be a turn-off for the adult learner.
• Practice, practice, practice your delivery beforehand.