Meaning Matters

Cumulative Tales

written by Lauren Mitsis

Do you enjoy stretching the truth? So do kids! Telling a tale is fun and telling a tale with a group is even more exciting. But the benefits don't stop at motivation.

Cumulative group tales:

• Promote a sense of story
• Foster listening and speaking skills
• Develop vocabulary
• Enhance organization of writing and ideas
• Encourage risk taking
• Allow for trying out different writing techniques: exaggeration, dialogue, transitional phrases/ devices
• Assist with working through social challenges

Think about how proud and excited grown adults are when they share their “fish” stories. Telling a cumulative tale with your class can be just as fun, engaging, and memorable. However it also allows peers to learn from one another. They listen as their friends try out exaggeration, descriptive detail, and more. Eventually after listening to peers, they try out some of these same devices.

I began during morning meeting by explaining to the class, “Today we are going to tell a story together. I’m going to begin the story by saying the first sentence. Then I’ll pass my microphone (AKA: shiny pen with a head bobble wrapped in aluminum foil) to the next storyteller. This person will add one part to the story and then pass the microphone to another ready friend. We will keep passing the microphone until each friend has had a turn and continue until the story ends.”

A cumulative tale can also serve as a minilesson. I keep a cup of story starters written on paper strips. Sometimes I ask students if they have a beginning to start the story and other times, I pull a story starter from a cup.

Some starter sentences could be:

• Oh no! It was lunch time and I knew it would happen again!
• One day I was walking into the bank, when I
• It’s started from the moment I woke up,
• Once upon a time there was beautiful prince who had no friends.

What types of tales do you encourage your students to share? What do you notice about your students' tales?

At home, try this around the table during breakfast or dinner. You'll be surprised at the twists and turns!