Four years, and four generations of pupils listening to stories from their very first day at Dallington school. Our new pupils, with their parents and teachers have those special soft-landing moments, when they listen to the story of the Magical Dallington Forest, and meet the Dallington fairies. They absolutely love the story of our school! It symbolises the Dallington way of teaching: with care, joy and creativity. From that day forwards, storytelling takes a major role in our school life. Our marvellous garden and outside learning spaces, with its splendid plane trees, pine trees and arbours, contribute so easily to a storytelling ambience!
Why is storytelling so important at Dallington School?
First and foremost children love stories – when it is done right! Stories can create magic and a sense of wonder of the world. Not only do stories teach us about life, ourselves and others, but they also help children to develop an understanding, respect and appreciation for others and other cultures, races and religions.
More over, storytelling enhances listening skills, promotes a feeling of well-being and relaxation, increases the willingness to communicate thoughts and feelings, encourages active participation, develops imagination, creativity and cooperation between children.
For this reason, the first “hotseat” training staff session in EYFS this academic course, lead by Miss Emily, who has a huge passion for books and reading, was about storytelling. Teachers held a practical and fun session to improve their approach, considering important aspects such as:
· The length of story
· A comfortable setting
· The expressions and gestures
· The level of voice
· Active involvement
Finally, a review was made on resources and ideas to incorporate into story telling to make it more exciting for children, such as the use of puppets, the story sacks and the use of family photos.