This exercise takes advantage of spatial intelligence and is especially helpful for visual learners, but everyone benefits from it. It works with all ages from seven up. [Under age seven children can illustrate one aspect of the story.] Along with helping to embed the story in the minds’ eye, it introduces the story’s sequence of episodes while at the same time enabling the children to become comfortable with the flow of the whole story. It also serves as a way to get children paired up for storylearning work, starting with telling the story to each other in a fun, easy way.

Materials

White paper (cardstock is especially nice to use)

Markers, pen or pencil

A chime, bell, or spoon and glass for indicating when it’s time to open eyes

Preparation

Decide how many parts there are in the story. Be able to tell the story with those parts in mind (that is, knowing where they start and stop).

Procedure

1. Instruct children to divide their paper into however many sections as there are parts to the story. Have them number the squares. Print the number small in a corner of each square.
2. Explain that you are going to tell the first part of the story. Instruct the children to close their eyes and see what’s happening in their mind’s eye as you tell the story. You might want them to put their heads down or their hands over their faces. You can explain that it will help them see images in their mind’s eye if they don’t see anything in the room.
3. Read or tell part one of the story. Speak slowly, so the children have time to visualize.
4. Then ding the chime and say, “Okay, now open your eyes, and in square number one draw a picture of what you saw as you listened to the first part of the story.” Help your children feel comfortable with fast, simple drawings. They can draw symbols or print words, too.
5. Repeat this process for all parts of the story.
6. When the storyboard is complete, encourage children to find a partner and tell each other the story using their storyboard pictures to help remember. Later they could use the storyboard to tell the story to the camera.
7. Give three cheers for telling the story!

NOTE: Sometimes children don’t listen well, especially the first time when before they understand what they are going to do. They often need you to summarize the story or just do it again after they have opened their eyes. They usually get the hang of it pretty fast. With young children, you might just have them draw one scene or aspect of the story.