
“I was BLOWN AWAY by Jon the other day. The way he kept children – brought up on hours and hours of screen time – entranced for 40 minutes non-stop with authentic, intricate storytelling was amazing… I love reading stories, but telling stories is a totally different skill and I learnt so much from him. Let’s have him back!” – Teacher, Rudyard Kipling Primary School, Brighton
Storytelling is a valuable addition to the classroom. It’s attention-grabbing, interesting and can inspire children to look further into literature, history and performance.
It also has a lot to offer across the curriculum at all Key Stages. For example, in English teaching it assists:
Spoken English – developing confidence and audience-awareness, and giving children the opportunity to both rehearse and improvise in performance
Language – developing vocabulary, figurative language and an awareness of dramatic and literary techniques
Literature – adding to children’s awareness of stories and cultures the world over
Yet it can also be brought to bear on History, Religious Education, even Citizenship, Geography and more: it is a means to explore events past and present, different cultural beliefs, the nature of human action and society, environmental impact… the list can go on.
Workshops and performances
I offer school sessions for all year groups, involving telling stories myself, interactive workshops (where the KIDS get to tell!), or a mixture of the two. I can tailor each visit to meet your immediate needs: picking my repertoire and/or adapting workshop structures, for example, to focus on particular topics or curricular aims.
A typical visit might include:
- 30mins performance (KS1)
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45 mins performance (KS2 and up)
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plus one or more workshops (an hour each)
… but I’m completely happy to work with you to come up with something specific and unique!
If you’d like me to give a session at your school, or would like to discuss what I can do, please do get in touch:
jonmase [at] gmail.com