Mythstories has a selection of Continuing Professional Development courses on offer for staff working in educational settings.

Please Contact Us to book whole school sessions.

Stand alone 90 minute on-line workshops

1. Simple Story Shapes

7 photos showing story spuds telling the story of the little cobblestone maker

Centred on Communication and Language for Early Years Settings.

contact us for booking whole school sessions delivered in your school or online.

click here for details

Content

An active participatory session.
Ideal for two members of staff to learn together.

• an exploration of telling stories that go ‘there and back’ or ‘round and round’

• ideas for quick and simple-to-make objects that young pupils can make on their own or in a group which they can use to reinforce, visualise and remember the ‘shape’ of the tale

• how to work with pictures, sound and movement to encourage pupils to tell the tale their own way

• experiment with the interactive and spontaneous elements of storytelling

Outcomes

Schools will discover new ways for young pupils to:

• become confident, fluent speakers able to present their own work effectively

• work in groups, listen and co-operate

• identify, remember and use spoken word patterns

• improve listening comprehension skills and help to close the ‘word-gap’

• make progress with predictive and sequencing skills

• impact on cultural capital by tapping into children’s interests

2. Stories in a Box

Centred on English especially Oracy for Yrs. 1 – 4

contact us for booking whole school sessions delivered in your school or online.

click here for details…

Content

A participatory session.
Ideal for two members of staff to learn together

• learn about this Japanese form of performance storytelling in a supportive environment

• a guided exploration of how a Kamashibai can be used as a storytelling aid, or a low-tech PowerPoint presentation, to develop literacy, oracy and presentation skills

• there will be a short introduction to the Japanese kamishibai (story box)

• find out how working with pictures and storytelling can encourage pupils to tell the tale in their own way

• see how your pupils can work in groups to make their own cardboard kamishibai

• build mastery of spoken language and help to close the ‘word-gap’

Outcomes

Schools will discover an exciting and effective way of reinforcing learning that can be used across the curriculum and will allow all children to shine.

• develop an opportunity for performances or presentations to parents, or in assemblies

• discover a new and creative way to foster both performance and organisational skills via team, solo and partnership working

• acquire inspirational techniques that will enable pupils to ‘exercise their creative muscle’ and so enhance their wellbeing

• encourage pupils to compose and redraft, review and proof in an oral environment, which can be especially motivational and rewarding for reluctant writers

• allow performers to gauge the effectiveness of their words from the reactions of their peers

• impact on cultural capital by tapping into children’s interests and raising awareness of other cultures and heritage

3. Using A Khavad – a box with one story and many doors

Centred on English especially Oracy for Yrs. 5 & 6

contact us for booking whole school sessions delivered in your school or online.

click here for details…

Content

A participatory session. Bring your partially constructed kavad to the session ready for development, (a how-to-make a kavad from cardboard can be downloaded from www.mythstories.com)

Ideal for two members of staff to learn together

• a short introduction to this Indian tradition

• ideas for making different styles of cardboard or wooden khavad, with scope for differentiation

• ideas for linking the khavad to STEM projects and art lessons

• a guided exploration of how a khavad can be used as a large group or class activity

• ideal for communicating traditional epics, complex legends, layered fairy tales, life stories and histories

Outcomes

• schools will discover a new and creative way to foster team working, organisational skills and co-operation amongst their pupils.

• impact on cultural capital by increasing children’s knowledge of cultures and heritage.

• participate in ways of working that are especially relevant to pupils who find classrooms settings a challenge

• acquire inspirational techniques ideal for those pupils who love to ‘exercise their creative muscle’

• discover new ways to build self-confidence and enhance well-being

• this could even form the basis of performances to parents or in assemblies

Participatory series’ of 4 x 90 minute twilight sessions

1. Fun With Words

A course centred on English especially Oracy.

contact us for booking whole school sessions delivered in your school or online.

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Content

A participatory series of 4 twilight sessions for all teaching staff
Ideal for two members of staff to learn together:

• learn in a supportive and reassuring environment

• learn various ways to help pupils deconstruct a story, in preparation for an unscripted performance.

• gather ideas for researching stories

• encourage pupils to think for themselves

• build mastery of spoken language and help to close the ‘word-gap’

• receive traditional story summaries to take-away

Outcomes

• participate in ways of working that are especially relevant to pupils who find classrooms settings a challenge.

• acquire inspirational techniques ideal for those pupils who love to ‘exercise their creative muscle’
• promote groupwork and co-operation skills and enhance well-being

• improve listening and comprehension skills and help to close the ‘word-gap’

• impact on cultural capital by tapping into children’s interests

2. Performance Storytelling

A course centred on English especially Oracy.

contact us for booking whole school sessions delivered in your school or online.

Click here for details

Content

A participatory series of 4 twilight sessions for all teaching staff
Ideal for two members of staff to learn together:

This course covers techniques to improve pupils’ performance and presentation skills; helping them communicate effectively with their audience.

• learn about performance storytelling in a supportive environment

• find ways to capture and maintain the interests of the listeners through management of body language, gesture, energy and pace

• experiment with interactive and spontaneous elements of storytelling

• gain the skills to become an effective presenter

• become increasingly familiar with traditional stories and learn to tell some

• play creative games that develop a confident use of grammar

• receive story summaries to take-away

Outcomes

Schools will gain tools that:

• provide fun and challenging opportunities for all pupils

• help pupils to present their own work effectively, irrespective of their starting points

• help pupils to feel comfortable in front of an audience and develop their performance skills

• encourage pupils to think for themselves

• impact on cultural capital by tapping into children’s interests

• build mastery of spoken language and help to close the ‘word-gap’

All the courses above are delivered by Dawn Powell

Dawn is a performance storyteller, primary teacher and former assessor for the prestigious Artsmark Award. Dawn has been telling traditional tales and delivering workshops for over 20 years throughout the UK and beyond. She has been involved in many storytelling collaborations, appearing in major events such as: FATE Storytelling Festival, Lunar, Moseley, Hastings and Shrewsbury Folk Festival, as well as Leeds Literature Festival, 2019. Dawn has also worked on the radio and at Birmingham Rep, the Hippodrome and The Swan, Stratford. Dawn works in countless schools, nurseries, libraries, museums, pubs, cafes and clubs and takes a keen interest in Greek myths. She is an award-winning children’s festival director who advocates for playful, multi-disciplinary approaches to ignite creativity, believing that storytelling can be a transformative artform, engaging even the most hard-to-reach children.