Using Storytelling in the Public School Classroom: The StoryBridge Model A New Approach for Bridging Academics and Social and Emotional Learning

​ ​and ​ ​Project ​ ​Summary By​ ​the​ ​end ​ ​of ​ ​3rd ​ ​grade, ​ ​only ​ ​36% ​ ​of ​ ​American ​ ​students ​ ​can ​ ​read ​ ​proficiently ​ ​(2015 NAEP​ ​data) ​ ​and ​ ​among ​ ​low-income​ ​students, ​ ​the​ ​rate​ ​is ​ ​17% ​​ ​​(Hernandez​ ​8). ​ ​This ​ ​statistic​ ​is alarming ​ ​in ​ ​and ​ ​of ​ ​itself, ​ ​but​ ​particularly ​ ​so​ ​given ​ ​a​ ​recent​ ​study​ ​revealing ​ ​that​ ​students ​ ​who​ ​are not​ ​able​ ​to ​ ​read ​ ​proficiently ​ ​by​ ​the​ ​end ​ ​of ​ ​third ​ ​grade​ ​are​ ​four ​ ​times ​ ​more​ ​likely ​ ​than ​ ​their proficiently ​ ​reading ​ ​peers ​ ​to ​ ​drop ​ ​out​ ​of ​ ​high ​ ​school​ ​(Hernandez​ ​4). ​ ​Such​ ​data​ ​indicates ​ ​that much ​ ​work​ ​needs ​ ​to ​ ​be​ ​done​ ​to ​ ​promote​ ​literacy ​ ​in ​ ​elementary ​ ​school. ​ ​However, ​ ​it​ ​is ​ ​also increasingly ​ ​clear ​ ​that​ ​lagging ​ ​educational ​ ​achievement ​ ​is ​ ​only ​ ​one​ ​of ​ ​the​ ​critical ​ ​shortcomings in ​ ​American ​ ​public​ ​schools.​ ​Perhaps ​ ​equally ​ ​important​ ​is ​ ​what​ ​is ​ ​now ​ ​being ​ ​further ​ ​deprioritized in ​ ​the​ ​quest​ ​to ​ ​increase​ ​academic ​ ​performance. ​ ​In ​ ​the​ ​face​ ​of ​ ​the​ ​wrenching ​ ​social​ ​divisions ​ ​and hatred ​ ​emerging ​ ​in ​ ​our ​ ​country, ​ ​I ​ ​have​ ​become​ ​convinced ​ ​that​ ​education ​ ​cannot​ ​just​ ​be​ ​about academic ​ ​achievement; ​ ​we​ ​also ​ ​need ​ ​to ​ ​consider ​ ​who​ ​we​ ​want​ ​students ​ ​to ​ ​become​ ​as ​ ​individuals, community ​ ​members, ​ ​and ​ ​citizens. The​ ​question ​ ​I ​ ​therefore​ ​set​ ​out​ ​to ​ ​explore​ ​with​ ​this ​ ​project​ ​was​ ​how ​ ​public​ ​schools ​ ​can incorporate ​ ​character-building ​ ​and ​ ​social​ ​and ​ ​emotional ​ ​learning ​ ​into ​ ​the​ ​school​ ​day ​ ​in ​ ​low-cost, easily ​ ​implementable ​ ​programs ​ ​that​ ​are​ ​both ​ ​personally ​ ​meaningful​ ​and ​ ​academically ​ ​enriching. I ​ ​hypothesized ​ ​that​ ​an ​ ​emphasis ​ ​on​ ​stories ​ ​and ​ ​storytelling ​ ​in ​ ​elementary ​ ​school​ ​could ​ ​represent a​ ​viable​ ​solution ​ ​by​ ​addressing ​ ​both ​ ​such ​ ​character ​ ​building ​ ​and ​ ​academics. ​ ​After ​ ​a​ ​two-part research ​ ​process ​ ​consisting ​ ​of ​ ​fieldwork ​ ​and ​ ​literature ​ ​searches, ​ ​I ​ ​developed ​ ​a​ ​program​ ​model called ​ ​“StoryBridge.”​ ​Designed ​ ​to ​ ​bring ​ ​engaging ​ ​stories ​ ​to ​ ​the​ ​classroom​ ​and ​ ​to ​ ​create ​ ​a​ ​bridge between ​ ​students’ ​ ​academic ​ ​and ​ ​personal​ ​experiences, ​ ​the​ ​StoryBridge​ ​model​ ​is ​ ​a​ ​simple​ ​but powerful​ ​way​ ​of ​ ​structuring ​ ​lessons ​ ​in ​ ​the​ ​library ​ ​through ​ ​storytelling, ​ ​hands-on ​ ​activities, ​ ​and personal​ ​reflection. ​​ ​​Using​ ​multi-cultural ​ ​animal​ ​folktales, ​ ​I ​ ​then ​ ​created ​ ​a​ ​prototype​ ​of ​ ​this model​ ​with​ ​the​ ​mission ​ ​of ​ ​building ​ ​character ​ ​and ​ ​community ​ ​in ​ ​the​ ​classroom.