Kendall Haven, a storyteller and educator, has collected quotes from many studies that confirm the relationship between storytelling and literacy.
Cliatt & Shaw (1988)
“The
relationship of storytelling and successful children’s
literacy development is well established.”
and
“...this
process (storytelling) enhanced children’s
development of language and logic skills.”
Snow and Burns (1998)
“Recently
the efficacy of early reading and storytelling exposure has been
scientifically validated. It has been shown to work.”
Schank (1990)
“Storytelling
has demonstrable, measurable, positive, and irreplaceable value in teaching.”
Mello (2001)
“Each
study documented that storytelling enhanced literacy.”
and
“Storytelling
was an effective learning tool that linked literature to content and
experience.”
Cooper (1997)
“In
fact, researchers have found that potential employers want their employees to
have mastered two aspects of literacy often omitted from school curricula:
listening and speaking.”
O’Neill (2004) “Time spent on early storytelling skill development in preschool years improves math skill upon entering school.”
Chang (2006)
“Living
in a highly competitive environment places great pressure on the efficiency
and effectiveness of every moment spent at school. I am convinced that stories
and storytelling hold a solution. They teach valuable language skills,
effectively teach facts and concepts, and are something fun for students to
do.”
Denning (2001)
“Time
after time, when faced with the task of persuading a group of manages or
front-line staff in a large organization to get enthusiastic about a major
change, storytelling was the only thing that worked.”
Engle (1995)
“Children
learn storytelling many years before they master logic, persuasion, writing,
and other forms of information delivery. Story is an essential precursor to
mastery of expository and logical forms.”
Henry James:
“Stories
happen to people who know how to tell them.”
Ragan and Wittenberg-Lyles (2005)
“The
very nature of story makes it a prime instrument for learning.”
Denning (2001)
“Stories
help us understand complexity. Stories enhance or change perception. Stories
are easy to remember.”
Crossley, 2000
“...human
beings think, perceive, imagine, interact and make moral choices according
to story structures.”
Hanson (2004)
“Storytelling
is at the least as effective as reading aloud for language arts development.”
Taylor (2001)
“Storytelling
is a valuable resource for developing critical thinking skills.”
Coles (1989)
“Stories
enhanced recall, retention, application of concepts into new situations,
understanding, learner enthusiasm for the subject matter.”
and
“Stories
enhanced and accelerated virtually every measurable aspect of learning.”
Egan (1997)
“Young
children understand abstract concepts when placed in binary opposition and
in the context of stories, but not in logic argument, or rote memorization.”
Mehl-Madrona (2005)
“Stories
rather than logical arguments or lawful formulations, are the vehicles by
which that meaning is communicated.”
Johnson (1993)
“Verbal
narratives constitute the most pervasive mode of rational explanation we
have.”
You can contact Kendall by visiting his website. Just click HERE