Schools

Storytelling in Schools

We learn to speak before we learn to read or write, Oral Storytelling deepens a child’s knowledge and understanding of how words can be used to describe all manner of things. A child’s mind is activated in a different way when listening to Oral Storytelling, it fires the imagination in children. Coupled with a structured storyline, increases the understanding of story structure, for children. It increases their understanding of how a story narrative works. It has been proven beyond doubt, that it also helps children in many key developmental areas such as; listening skills, increased attention span, increased vocabulary and subtle language variation, rhythm and structure etc.  It increases a child’s confidence to use new words, both orally and written. It enhances narrative skills, plot development, story structure. It develops the children’s imagination beyond the ordinary and familiar. It also increases a child’s knowledge and understanding of other cultures. Oral Storytelling without a book is unique; it is an eye-to-eye, moment-to-moment, heart-to-heart experience. People are often amazed at how Oral Storytelling can hold the attention of children including those children with attention difficulties.  It is also highly entertaining and gives children a welcome break from their ‘normal’ curriculum.

My stories include tales about; The Stone age,  Romans, Greek Myths, World Creation Myths, World Folk Tales, Norse tales, as well as classic British Folk and Fairy tales.

Bespoke Storytelling Projects & Workshops.

I have developed and co-facilitated a Bespoke Project in an Essex school, specifically using Storytelling, working with KS2 children, identified as needing extra support in school. It had a relaxed workshop format around a structured story base.  We have so far undertaken 4 small groups run over 10 weeks. A total of 40 hours face to face storytelling work. During which time we facilitated the children devising their own self created spoken story, which we captured by transcribing their story and giving it back to them written up, at the end. I am also a trained Therapeutic Counsellor and it was in this combined role that we worked with Storytelling.  We encouraged the children, to use their own  creative thinking, artistic creativity, problem solving skills, group discussion, group negotiation and free expression, to journey both metaphorically and as individuals,  as they  moved on in the story each week.

I have designed and delivered a Bespoke Group work Project for an upper school in Essex. It involved taking a group of KS3 boys outside to deliver Nature based workshops, it included Storytelling, Outdoor Games, Nature awareness and some Bushcraft.

I have also delivered several Storytelling Workshop’s and storytelling session’s, for adolescents in; A secure residential adolescent mental health hospital; At a Project in Suffolk working with Young people from inner London at risk of ‘gang crime'(BIGKID Foundation); At a residential Outdoor Cooking Project, with fee paying Young people (Root Camp).