I was delighted to have been invited to kick off the new school term by delivering the INSET training afternoon at the fabulous Hebden Green School in Winsford, Cheshire on Weds 1st September.
After our introductions we got stuck into my bags and boxes of props and shared the hilarious story of Jack & the Beanstalk.
We discussed the benefits of multisensory and interactive storytelling:
The bond created by the storyteller and story explorer as they share their adventures.
The stories connect students to literature, culture and topic in a fun and engaging way and are another form of reading.
The stories are a valuable tool in teaching communication skills.
How interacting with the sensory stimuli in the stories present the opportunity for students to explore and express their likes, dislikes and sensory preferences and how we can apply this information for educational purposes and to enhance areas of daily living.
We blasted off in our rocket on a multisensory exploration of the solar system with our story 'Journey into Space'.
Then it was time for the team to deliver their own multisensory/interactive stories!
Each class was allocated a story.
Their task was to source the story props using items they found around their classrooms.
In a blink of an eye, the groups had disappeared, only to return five minutes later, their arms full of an array of wonderful and wacky items!
The teams were so imaginative and creative!
We went on a beautiful Train Ride Through India with one team who used a box of Tic-Tacs to re-create the train clacking down the tracks and even managed to find a sari!
We joined the Three Little Pigs on their building adventures and followed our amazing superhero as he guided us through his day at a special school!
Each story was presented in a unique and engaging way!
We just had time to visit our 'pop up' barber shop for a new haircut before our appointment at The Dentist, who were that convincing I almost booked in for a scale and polish!
I'll leave you a picture of our 'Weather Girls' the 'Robins' and 'Snowy Owls' who told their wonderful story 'The Weather'
Click the link to download your free copy of The Weather - A Multisensory Exploration'
Thanks to Helen Ashley & #TeamHebden
''Tell the story of the mountains you climbed.
Your words could become a page in someone else’s survival guide.''
- Morgan Harper Nichols -
Course Feedback
'My favourite part of the course was at the beginning where we each had a prop to use for the jack and the beanstalk story'
'I really enjoyed how interactive the course was and the way we were able to create our own story'
'The notes were really useful, lots of content and really helpful to look back on'
'My favourite part of the course was seeing how to put together and resource stories'
'I liked the way the same story can be retold in many different ways just by using different props'
'A less perfectionalist idea of what resources are needed for storytelling'
'Adapting sensory stories to include pupils working at a wide range of abilities'
'The training was great and delivered at a great pace'
'With the training I would be confident enough to use any book and transform it into a multisensory story'
'Fabulous training session. I will definitely encourage colleagues in other schools to attend a session'