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Introduction
In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven society, inculcating the good values in children is more crucial than ever. One of the most important jobs we have as an early childhood educator is to help the children develop social skills, show them how to interact in a polite manner with people, and teach them to treat others with respect. However, I experienced a culture shock as the children were displaying a lack of good manners – not even the daily greeting of ‘Good Morning’, which serves as a catalyst to social interaction. They do not greet nor make eye contact with their teachers unless prompted to do so. Though it can be understood for children due to their limited vocabulary, the K2s, who are older and able to communicate efficiently do not enforce this as well. In addition, I have observed that parents play an important role in enforcing these rules as well. Despite having a curriculum that focuses on moral values, what is learnt is not implemented by the children which made me question myself – how do I inculcate the importance of moral values? Therefore, it has guided me to my research by using a literacy-based approach – I will focus on storytelling and its’ benefits in order to inculcate these values in the children. With the action research done, it has led me to my research question – How can storytelling inculcate values among pre-schoolers?
Literature Review
Values needs to be inculcated since young age to form a human personality which rooted in moral and ethics. Teachers have to deal with a variety of teaching methods and pedagogy to inculcate the good values. The literature review will look at the use of storytelling to inculcate values among preschool children.
Benefits of storytelling
As an art form, storytelling provides a language-based mode of conveying messages that assist one in meaning-making sense of one’s world. There was an Indian proverb had said “Tell me a fact and I’ll learn. Tell me a truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever”. This proverb indicated that people are preferred to listen to the stories in the narrative way compared to facts and theories.
Pre-school children are in a critical period for language development. Curtain and Dahlberg noted that children absorb languages effortlessly and are adapt imitators of speech sounds .Because they are very self-centred, they do not work well in groups, and they respond best to activities and learning situation relating to their own interests and experiences. Although they have short attention span, they have great patience for repetition of the same activity or game.
According to Brown (2007) children in the age between 4-6 years old categorized as very young learners. Egan explained that the mythic educational layer term reveals to children at the age 4 to 5. Egan (1989) commented that young children tend to draw an idea of the world of the imagination is in vivid and real .Learners in the mythic layer often believe that the real world as a fairy tale world operates. Using storytelling is the effective strategies for teaching young children.
Ur, P (1996) stated that there are three very important sources of interest for children in the classroom; they are pictures, stories and games. As far as young children concerned, they mostly find these lessons enjoyable as they are active parts in the process. They use the language in order to communicate idea, to play games and later on to tell stories.
Storytelling as educational tools
Storytelling is an effective pedagogical strategy especially for teaching young children that can be woven into instruction to increase students’ competencies in all areas.
Create students’ motivation and interest
Young children are more interested when teachers make stories while teaching. This is because student can motivate them by hearing the stories from their teachers as they always think lecturers have experiences in their life. Children are willing to pay attention in the class when teachers said “I have stories to tell you”. Most young children enjoy listening to stories. Stories have power which can bring the young children into world of imagination and a draw colourful picture with many interesting characters in the story. According to Isbell et al. (2004), storytellers tend to use more repetition, sounds, gestures than a person merely reading a story. The authors report that storytelling is considered an effective strategy for developing listening skills and keeping students engaged (Isbell et al., 2004).
Storytelling for inspiration and creativity
As stated by Emily (2006), storytelling for inspiration and creativity by engaging the participants in creative activities linked to the stories such as in art, dramatization, music and puppetry. The children can engage in the dramatization and even create or dictate their own stories through drawing, conventional or using invented spelling.
Most young children enjoy listening to stories. Stories have power which can bring the young children into world of imagination and draw colourful picture with many interesting characters in the story. Isbell (2002) highlights that storytelling promotes expressive language development in oral and written form and present new vocabulary and complex language in the powerful form that inspire children to emulate the model that have experienced. Storytelling for young children is critically important to create constructive and creative comprehension.
Storytelling for increased self-confidence.
Emily (2006), further emphasized that storytelling for increased self-confidence and it has been proven amongst children who have low self-esteem or are ‘low achievers. It is an effective way to motivate even the most reluctant reader or writer. Storytelling is defined as, “relating a tale to one or more listeners through voice and gesture” (National Council of Teachers of English, 1992, p. 1). Dugan (1997) reports that storytelling depends on both the listener and the teller, this strategy utilizes the social element of language and found that literacy instruction is most effective when developed through social interaction and collaboration with others . NCTE (1992) reports that that the weakest readers and writers are often the most adept at storytelling.
Improving literacy skills
Haven & Ducey (2007) highlights that storytelling can be used as an effective means to increase early literacy and promote reading comprehension skills. Isbell (2002)further emphasizes that storytelling promotes expressive language development in oral and written form and present new vocabulary and complex language in the powerful form that inspire children to emulate the model that have experienced. Through participation in storytelling experiences, students learn to build a sense of story by anticipating features of the genre, including how a story may begin and end (Craig et al, 2001; Washburn, 1983). Aiex, 1988 added that the development of a sense of story allows students to make better predictions, to anticipate what is next, to increase awareness of cause and effect, sequence events, and develop other skills that aid comprehension . Haven & Ducey, (2007) explains further that storytelling assists in the development of a sense of story by incorporating the use of essential story elements which include point of view, plot, style, characters, setting, and theme
Importance of values in young children
Having good values help children to have a strong and impressive personality. Children are able to differentiate between right and wrong if they are taught moral values at a very young age. It definitely changes how they perceive the world and behave once they are adults. Piaget (1965) explains that children construct and reconstruct their knowledge of the world through interactions with the environment. Piaget (1965) further reports that such knowledge includes children’s understandings about what is right and what is wrong. Moral development and cognitive development are thus closely interconnected. Berkowitz & Grych (1998) point out that being a “good” person, however, involves more than having the cognitive understanding of what is right and what is wrong.
Schools have long been seen as an institutions for preparing children for both academically and as moral agents in society. Halstead & Pike (2006) report that in order to become capable, moral citizens, children need to be provided with opportunities to learn moral values. According to Dewey (1915; 1947), children’s learning experiences must be led by the teacher by create a situation or condition that is conducive to their physical and mental development. Early education is emphasized because, in this stage the child directly or indirectly will adapt everything that happens around them. Each input and teaching will be more easily absorbed in the early stages. Bandura (1977; 1986) explains that children learn through ‘imitation’, from their social environment. In fact, the process of imitation of children from parents, adults and teachers deemed to be an important source for the development of children’s morality.
Maqsud (1977) reports that a number of studies support the views by Piaget and Kohlberg that interaction with peers can influence children’s moral maturity. The implications of Piaget’s Theory of Moral Development (1965) and Kohlberg (1969) is that teachers can help children learn moral values through stories and scenarios. After the teacher tells a story the pupils should be given the opportunity to create discussions and interactions between peers so that children can learn what is ‘wrong’ or ‘right’ through problem solving. Le Improving literacy skills
Haven & Ducey (2007) highlights that storytelling can be used as an effective means to increase early literacy and promote reading comprehension skills
Isbell (2002) further emphasizes that storytelling promotes expressive language development in oral and written form and present new vocabulary and complex language in the powerful form that inspire children to emulate the model that have experienced. Through participation in storytelling experiences, students learn to build a sense of story by anticipating features of the genre, including how a story may begin and end (Craig et al, 2001; Washburn, 1983). Aiex, 1988 added that the development of a sense of story allows students to make better predictions, to anticipate what is next, to increase awareness of cause and effect, sequence events, and develop other skills that aid comprehension . Haven & Ducey, (2007) explains further that storytelling assists in the development of a sense of story by incorporating the use of essential story elements which include point of view, plot, style, characters, setting, and theme
Importance of values in young children
Having good values help children to have a strong and impressive personality. Children are able to differentiate between right and wrong if they are taught moral values at a very young age. It definitely changes how they perceive the world and behave once they are adults. Piaget (1965) explains that children construct and reconstruct their knowledge of the world through interactions with the environment. Piaget (1965) further reports that such knowledge includes children’s understandings about what is right and what is wrong. Moral development and cognitive development are thus closely interconnected. Berkowitz & Grych (1998) points out that being a “good” person, however, involves more than having the cognitive understanding of what is right and what is wrong.
Schools have long been seen as an institutions for preparing children for both academically and as moral agents in society. Halstead & Pike (2006) reports that in order to become capable, moral citizens, children need to be provided with opportunities to learn moral values. According to Dewey (1915; 1947), children’s learning experiences must be led by the teacher by create a situation or condition that is conducive to their physical and mental development. Early education is emphasized because, in this stage the child directly or indirectly will adapt everything that happens around them. Each input and teaching will be more easily absorbed in the early stages. According to Bandura (1977; 1986), children learn through ‘imitation’, from their social environment. In fact, the process of imitation of children from parents, adults and teachers deemed to be an important source for the development of children’s morality.
Maqsud (1977) reports that a number of studies support the views by Piaget and Kohlberg that interaction with peers can influence children’s moral maturity. The implications of Piaget’s Theory of Moral Development (1965) and Kohlberg (1969) is that teachers can help children learn moral values through stories and scenarios. After the teacher tells a story the pupils should be given the opportunity to create discussions and interactions between peers so that children can learn what is ‘wrong’ or ‘right’ through problem solving. Learned in this manner is much more meaningful to students.
Storytelling to inculcate values
The practice of using storybooks or narrative method to inculcate moral values among children has been practiced by all the people of the world. Winston ( 1988; 1999) reports that stories such as the Ramayana of Hindu culture has long been used to give moral lessons to children. As Brown (2007) points out, from an educational perspective, it is well understood that students remember and learn well from stories. Additionally, many cultures, religions adopted it as a mode of teaching. In Islam for instance , the Quran had been arranged in narrative and stories so Muslims are able to learn from the verses and remember the rules that embedded on it
Folktales are generally tales or stories passed down through generations, that have been told orally over time. Children hear bed time stories or folk tales from their parents as entertainment for leisure. They learnt lot of lessons from these folktales. The three little pigs, Goldilocks and the three bears and Jack and Beanstalk are the few examples of folktales that had moral values in them. Most of the children know these stories very well and aware of the moral of the stories before they go to school. According to Bruner (1990), the content of the stories made up by children themselves can reveal a lot about their perception of the world and attitudes towards the surrounding world. Piaget (1951; 1999), further emphasises that the inculcation of moral values and ethics is best done since childhood, because according to Piaget (1951; 1999), children aged 2 to 8 years old began to build the concept and identity from behavior of animated characters and metaphors of nature.
The storytelling method is closely related to the cognitive and moral development of children. Children were equipped with a natural interest to listen and understand stories. Thus, this method can stimulate and motivate students in the learning process. Piaget (1965) and Kohlberg (1969) being the pioneers of the theory of moral development and children’s moral education also support the use of the storytelling method to convey knowledge of moral values to children
Bruner (1986) agrees that story-telling and use of stories is an effective way to transform moral experiences to moral knowledge. Berkowitz & Oser (1985) further agrees that when students are actively engaged in listening the story and involved in a story telling, then a values and virtues is most likely to occur
Conclusion
Tappan and Brown (1989) reported that storytelling as an approach can help develop and form moral sensitivity among children is slowly dying in our modern education system. Thus, it is critical that storytelling can be a teaching pedagogy to develop values and codes of ethics of preschool children. Through storytelling, children begin to think of the good and bad things, thus develop emotional and rectify their behaviour.
References
- Aiex, N. K. (1988). Storytelling: Its wide-ranging impact in the classroom. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.: ED299574).
- Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
- Berkowitch, M.W., & Grych, J.H. (1998).Fostering goodness: teaching parents to facilitate children’s moral development.Journal of Moral Education, 27(3), 371-391.
- Brown, M. (2007). “Listening to lecturers, learning about teaching”. Journal of curriculum Studies, 41(1):131-144
- Bruner, J. (1986). Actual minds, possible worlds. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
- Bruner, J. (1990). Acts of meaning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
- Craig, S., Hull, K., Haggart A., & Crowder, E. (2001). Storytelling: Addressing the Literacy Needs of Diverse Learners. Teaching Exceptional Children. Vol 43 (5), pgs. 46-51.
- Curtain, H. A., & Dahlberg, C. A, (2009). Languages and children making the match new languages for young learners, grades K-8
- Dugan, J. (1997). Transactional literature discussions: Engaging students in the appreciation and understanding of literature. Reading Teacher, 51(2), 86-96.
- Dewey, J. (1915). The school and the life of the child. In John Dewey. The school and society. Chicago & London: The University of Chicago Press.
- Egan, K. (1989). Teaching as storytelling: an alternative approach to teaching and curriculum in the elementary school. University of Chicago Press.
- Johnsson, E (2006). Telling tales, A guide to developing effective storytelling programmes for mueums.
- Haven, K. & Ducey, M. (2007). Crash course in storytelling. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
- Isbell, R. (2002). Telling and Retelling Stories: Learning Language and Literacy.
- Isbell, R., Sobol, J., Lindauer, L., & Lowrance, A. (2004). The effects of storytelling and story reading on the oral language complexity and story comprehension of young children. Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 32, No. 3.
- Kilpatrick, W. (1992). Why Johnny Can’t Tell right from Wrong: Moral Illiteracy and the Case for Character Education. New York: Simon & Schuster.
- Kohlberg, L. (1969). Stage and sequence: The Cognitive-developmental approach to socialization. In D.A. Goslin (ed.) Handbook of socialization theory and research (p.347-480). Chicago: Rand McNally.
- MacDonald M. R. (1982). The storyteller’s sourcebook: A subject, title, and motif Index to folklore collections for Children. Detroit: Thomson Gale
- Maqsud, M. (1977). The influence of social heterogeneity and sentimental credibility on moral judgements of Nigerian Muslim adolescents. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 8, 113-112.
- National Council of Teachers of English: Position Statement from the Committee on Storytelling. (1992). Teaching Storytelling.
- Parkin, M. (2004). Tales for change. London, UK; Sterling, VA: Kogan Page Limited.
- Pellowski, A. (1977). The world of storytelling. New York: Bowker.
- Piaget, J. (1965). The moral judgment of the child. New York: The Free Press.
- Ur, P. (1996). A course in language teaching: practice and theory. Cambridge University Press
- Tappan, M.B. (1998). Moral education in the Zone of Proximal Development. Journal of Moral Education, 27 (2), 1998.
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