From TCNEWS
As the nations across the globe celebrates the year 2024 Tell A Story Day, a sociocultural organization known as Igbo Vanguard Group, IVG has called on the critical stakeholders to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to share stories to children in their native language.
From the records, Storytelling is an ancient practice that is used so knowledge can be handed down from one practice to another. It is a beautiful way for families and friends to pass on long told tales, histories, and family traditions with one and other. Not only can storytelling be educational, but entertaining as well.
Interacting with our correspondent in Umuahia, Abia State on the celebration, the President General of the Organization, Engr. James Nnadozie Uchegbuo, who observed that the Igbos were once defined as “Wise people”, lamented that most parents rare tell stories to their children because of economic quagmire and pressure to make both ends meet.
Uchegbuo who espoused and expounded the importance of story telling, which include raising the understanding of children in logic, knowledge and wisdom and contentment, encouraged parents to make out time to tell local stories to their children.
The IVG PG further reminded parents that some of the home videos children are exposed to are not good for their moral and mental health.
Uchegbuo suggested to the government to join the United States, Scotland and the United Kingdom in the celebration of National Tell A Story Day, which he observed is an important form of art-integrated pedagogy that can be used by classroom teachers for an effective curriculum transaction.
He therefore recommended a convocation of the Ministries of Culture, Information and Tourism and Education; Federal, State and Local Government House Committee Chairmen on Education and Culture where they will brainstorm and come up with a policy that will make story telling in native language compulsory in the pre primary, primary and secondary schools.
According to him, adopting storytelling as a powerful tool to enhance teaching and learning outcomes is not only essential but it is instrumental in plugging the learning gaps among pupils in primary and pre-primary classes.
Saturday Apr 27th, 2024 is National Tell A Story Day, which is celebrated in the United States, Scotland and the United Kingdom, with the aim to get participants telling, sharing, and listening to each others stories.
It is also a celebration of the art of oral storytelling in all of its many forms, whether it be fiction or non-fiction, a tall tale, or folklore. The stories may be told from memory or from a book.
Tell A Story Day was created by an entrepreneur called George Rafeedle. The first observance of this day occurred back in 2009, and it has been going strong ever since then! George knew that storytelling was an effective and powerful way to involve, motivate, and connect with other people.