National Storytelling Week Resources Posted on 31 January 2022 by Amber Gravenell in Resources Storytelling is a timeless art which does not depreciate in value as times goes by. Stories are a crucial part of development in childhood as well as proving to be a popular and relaxing past time for lovers of reading and writing of all ages. Storytelling can take many forms; from writing stories, reading stories aloud and using drama to act stories out! We are lucky to have a wide variety of outlets through which stories can be communicated ranging from comics and magazines, e-books, paper books and theatres for dramatic re-enactments. Throughout the centuries, storytelling has obviously evolved. Stories were not always written down, typed up or bound in books. Originally, stories were shared by word of mouth, recounting stories verbally. Inevitably, the stories then would have been passed from one generation to the next. Then, finally, the stories would have been recorded in writing, hence how we are familiar with centuries-old myths and legends. Storytelling and Childhood DevelopmentStorytelling has a positive impact on childhood development. By prioritising storytelling from an early age, you will be giving children the best possible start in their education and development.Some of the benefits of storytelling include…• Aids development of imagination.• Encourages and inspires creativity. • Enhances attention span. • Helps to develop key thinking skills.• Aids problem solving and reasoning. • Helps to develop prediction and inference. • Assists the development of all-important listening skills.• Contributes to the ability to sequence and order events. • Develops emotional awareness, e.g. empathy, identifying emotions.• Enhances understanding of phonics. • Assists in language and speech development.• Broadens vocabulary bank. • Can inspire a love of reading and writing; key educational skills!ResourcesThere are a wide variety of resources available to support you in celebrating National Storytelling Week in the classroom. We have compiled some of the best resources below.The Society for Storytelling The Society for Storytelling have a wonderful resource pack available to download for use in the classroom. As a charity completely managed by volunteers, they politely request a small donation from your school to show your appreciation for the hard-work and organisation they put into organising storytelling week. BBC The BBC have a variety of educational resources available to download and use for National Story Telling Week. Discover: Children’s Story Telling Centre There are many engaging and fun activities to assist storytelling on the Discover website!Story Museum The Literacy Trust Although originally posted in 2021, this Literacy Trust webpage contains a wealth of inspiration for the celebration of storytelling week. The Literacy Shed A fantastic resource with a range of stories suitable for all ages and interests that can be easily adapted and used for storytelling week.If you are seeking further inspiration on children’s stories and reading, the following blog articles may be of interest!5 Timeless Children’s Books 6 Ways to Encourage Children to Read Bringing International Literacy Day into Your Classroom National Writing Day 2021