AMI Talks – The Art of Storytelling

Stories are everywhere — when we talk of history, science, mathematics, and inventions, we do not only speak of facts, we also speak of wonder and speaking to the power of the mind. We used to be great storytellers: it was a way to pass on the history of our families, the animals, villages and our land.

In today’s world, we have often outsourced our memories to written text. And here is a fascinating dilemma: we must not forget how to tell stories, and yet the written word has also given us the possibility to preserve and share our stories with people from the other side of the planet. 

On 31 August 2021, AMI trainer Carla Foster shared with us The Art of Storytelling - how important it is for the elementary child, and how to perfect this art in our teachers.  She was joined by Gabrielle Ahuli'i Ferreira Holt who spoke about the importance of exposure to stories and legends of cultural significance in early childhood, helping children engage deeply with their culture and also creating more meaningful connections across cultures.

About the Speakers:

Carla Foster is one of the current AMI Directors of Elementary Training at Montessori Training Center Northeast (MTCNE), USA and the Montessori Institute of Prague. She also works permanently at the University College of Vestfold in Norway. Carla holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Anthropology, Old Icelandic Literature and Norwegian Literature from UC Berkeley. She has AMI 3-6 and 6-12 diplomas and has worked with children in age groups 3-6, 6-9 and 9-12 in both private and public Montessori schools. She enjoys speaking about all subject areas in Cosmic Education and is often invited to speak on this topic close to her heart and knowledge.

Gabrielle Ahuli'i Ferreira Holt is the author of the series ‘Hawaiian Legends for Little Ones’, published by BeachHouse Publishing (Honolulu), Gabrielle is currently the school librarian at Hanahauʻoli School (founded in 1918 in Honolulu). The school is a progressive, John Dewey-based school whose long history has been shaped by many influential storytellers from Hawaii and beyond. Gabrielle was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. She graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre design and received her Master’s in Library & Information Science from the University of Hawaii.