Our Youngest Storytellers

Once upon a time, I was a teacher and teacher of teachers, a literacy coach. I have worked and volunteered in education specifically in literacy in affluent communities and in the underprivileged areas in New York, Connecticut, Texas, California, and Oregon. I continue to do work in this space as a consultant and hold a master's degree in education from Bank Street College of Education in NYC.

While I speak of storytelling and happiness in our workplaces, I include the public sector, and I would love to come and speak to your administrators, teachers, parents, and students.

As mentors of the next generation , and as numbers of anxiety and depression are on the rise, I think it behooves us to take time to listen to the stories of our children, our teachers, our parents, and our administrators. We have to be a team and come together in community to truly see and educate our youngest learners.

I have always been a literacy advocate and have assisted with research in the psychology of reading, my master's has a focus on literacy, I completed a children's book as my thesis, and I continue to create reading and writing experiences for students, teachers, and parents, alike.

We must give a voice to our learners and our teachers. We have to carve out space to make incremental changes in our lives so that we can live happier lives.

In my master's program in Happiness I have learned accessible ways to implement this, but I also know that storytelling is an access point for everyone.

As pressure abounds to meet metrics, get funding, and stay competitive as schools, this pressure trickles down to our youngest learners.

We musn't forget the role of discovery, play, exploration, and literacy for our youngest learners to achieve success and overall well-being and wholebeing (Ben-Shahar, 2025) contentment.

Anecdotally, I can tell you that my children choose writing, songwriting, reading, and music over phones and television. That's not to say they don't participate in technology. Of course they do. I also don't restrict usage. I just ask for basic decorum during conversation and encourage other choices. My children know that storytelling is at the root of happiness. They know that they're allowed a voice. They know that happiness is found in story, dance, community, friends, spreading light, kindness, and storytelling.

Storytelling and happiness go hand in hand.

Warmly,
Rebecca

References

Ben-Shahar (2025). The First Wholebeing Principle (W1) 2.1 Wholebeing.LMS@CentenaryUniversity.