An Innovative Practice of Storytelling with Kamishibai: A Preschool Teacher’s Educational Journey around Taiwan

Abstract

Kamishibai is a street performance art that originated in Japan in the 1930s. It is a visual, auditory, and highly participatory storytelling performance medium. With the prevalence of modern multimedia and virtual reality technologies, Kamishibai has gradually attracted the attention of storytelling educators because of its unique empathetic characteristics. This study briefly reviews the trend of Kamishibai's storytelling activities in Taiwan over the past decade. The storytellers are a group of early childhood education preschool teachers and their instructors. The Kamishibai Children's Theatre, which they have voluntarily established, undertakes an annual educational journey around Taiwan. Over six years, Kamishibai Children's Theatre has given over 600 live performances at 250 different institutions, including schools, non-profit organizations, communities, libraries, and local storytelling centers. They have enriched preschool teachers' storytelling skills, promoted reading culture, and inspired many kindergarten and elementary school teachers to use Kamishiabi for innovative teaching. In this study, Kamishibai's innovative teaching contributed to developing interdisciplinary skills for young children in the creation, writing, and performance of storytelling techniques. These skills also extend to young children's language learning, oral expression, and artistic and aesthetic skills.