Wonder is the seed of knowledge... Schools I recently heard on the radio that listening as opposed to looking is good for the cognitive development of children’s brains. I can’t agree more! As a storyteller I know that children who listen to stories have to do the work themselves; they have to paint the pictures that accompany my stories in their own heads! Therefore storytelling can be used in any area of the school curriculum, although my main focus is on history and all sessions can include some music, period dancing and games. I also supply sheepskins for sitting on, historical replica artefacts and can also bring my medieval tent to lend a sense of occasion! Individual sessions (Per class/group) tend to last up to one hour long, with breaks for games, looking at objects etc. Sessions can be typical tales from Saxon, Viking, Medieval, Tudor or Stuart times with the emphasis on fun and improving children’s listening skills, or they can be adapted to the needs of the National Curriculum... Primary, KS1-2 For Reception classes I tend to offer a very simple session. It is made up of repetitive stories where the children are encouraged to join in and act them out, with a little bit of dressing up as well. The stories may or may not be subject related depending on the needs of the school. The KS2 Tudor sessions include authentic stories from the time, but with extra detail about the period. They cover all aspects of Tudor life, from Kings and Queens and famous explorers to the differences between rich and poor in Tudor times. As well as replica handling objects to help give a feel for the time, the children can have a go at some ‘wrestling’ games that would have been popular at any Tudor fayre! The Saxon and Viking session is not linked so specifically to the curriculum units, but designed to give an overview of life in Saxon/Viking times by telling stories of Gods, Myths and Men. Stories like Beowulf (adapted for a young audience) Thor's stolen hammer and any amount of Scandinavian and Germanic folk tales that tend to be very silly! Secondary, KS3 My KS3 sessions tend to focus on the Medieval period . They can be a typical storytelling session with lots of different types of tales designed to give an introductory overview of life at the time (With some bows, swords and other stuff thrown in for good measure) Alternatively I also offer stories that focus on monarchs and how they kept control and also changing attitudes to religion in the period. This session includes tales about greedy monks and wise friars, also pilgrims and pilgrimage with stories like Chaucer’s Pardoners Tale. A Recommendation I just wanted to commit to writing my thanks for the great storytelling sessions that you did with our children. The feedback from the children was incredibly positive and the teaching staff commented that it was great the way you included the whole range of abilities and learning styles through your interactive stories. Michael Bunting, Deputy Head - Recreation Road Primary School, Norwich For another example of a school recommendation just click here...
All that said, I am very flexible and more than happy to adapt my sessions to the individual needs of teachers. Please feel free to contact me with your own ideas..