Devon Primary Literacy Conference

Talk for Writing

3rd February 2009

Programme:

9:15 Introduction

9:30 Key note speaker Chris Smith Storytelling for Language and Literacy -

how to teach your class to tell and retell stories as core strategy for language and literacy based on the story museum's work in developing story making schools with Pie Corbett. Guaranteed to enthuse and inspire your class and school.

10:45 Break

11:15 Chris Smith continues

12:30 Lunch

1.30  Afternoon workshop 1: these workshops are based upon good practice within Devon. All of the workshop leaders below have been working alongside Pie Corbett as part of a national project to raise standards in writing. They have developed a range of strategies and approaches to writing – share their skills and consider impact and outcomes. Choose one from the following workshops.

1 / Joy Simpson – Devon Literacy Consultant: Talking Non-Fiction
·  Ways of talking non-fiction at KS1 and 2
·  Taking the reader into account in non-fiction
2 / Elly Babbedge – Devon Literacy Consultant/ Dawn Felton – St Sidwell’s Primary, Exeter, Devon: Improving writing at KS1 through Guided work, including Talk for Writing

This workshop will give you lots of practical ideas to use with Reception, Y1 and Y2 children to develop language skills in Fiction, non-fiction and poetry. You will hear from a FS practitioner the value of talk at every stage of the teaching sequence and will have the opportunity to view and discuss clips from a recently Devon published DVD resource. You will leave with a clear view of how you can plan effectively for guided work with young children, and how you can scaffold the development of their vocabulary and sentence construction through games and activities.

3 / Mary Pereira – Haywards Primary, Crediton, Devon: Exploring the way oral and visual strategies can support writing at KS2
A particular focus on the use of visual storyboards, in the context of bothnarrative and non-narrativewriting
4 / Gill Gillmartin – Shaugh Prior Primary, Devon: Storytelling to Support Writing at FS/KS1
·  How to build story telling into teaching sequences
·  Using audacity to support storytelling
·  The impact of storytelling on children's writing

2.30 Afternoon workshop 2: these workshops are all being run by story tellers. You will have experienced the power of talk for writing throughout the day, now choose from one of these workshops where you will be shown how to become a more proficient storyteller yourself. Just how do storytellers remember their stories?

1 / Chris Smith – Virtual Story Museum: The Storytelling Teacher
How to develop your practice as a storytelling teacher and teacher of storytelling at KS2. Tips and tools to explore and develop the elements of story through storytelling techniques.
2 / Bigfoot Theatre - Storytelling in the Primary Classroom: The Hero’s Journey (KS2)
Teachers will work with the director of Bigfoot Arts Education and a facilitator with storytelling experience. They will take part in activities to loosen the imagination and look at a typical storytelling structure, used to create an original story for the group. They will look at how to involve the audience by considering different types of listener. Finally, they will hear the story told back to them, understanding what makes storytelling unique and how we adapt to suit and fit the audience we are delivering to.
3 / Don Newton - Devon based storyteller. Painting Pictures with Words
Don intends to share his skills as a Master Storyteller to enable every participant to go away confident in their ability to pick a story, learn it and then tell it. Delegates will work together to explore the use of visualisation to retell a story in ones own inimitable way .Once the skeleton of a tale has been learnt, the teller is free to relax into the telling, letting one’s own life experiences flow into the telling. Here, characterisation, the art of timing and the supreme skill of ending can be developed. A traditional tale will be used within the session to guarantee that everyone will leave able to enjoy retelling it with the ability to hold their class spellbound. A booklist of good sources of traditional tales plus tips to help you extend your storytelling skills will be available for all.FS/KS1 focus.
4 / David Heathfield – Devon based storyteller. How to Tell a Tale: Teachers are the Ideal Live Story Resource for Students. FS/KS1 focus.
How do I make a story my own and how do I prepare to tell it? Try out some simple techniques which help to enliven your unscripted telling of traditional, modern and anecdotal tales. PREPARATION: have in mind a 3-minute traditional story you know that you’d like to tell your KS1 students. You'll have the chance to tell it to one or two other teachers before the end of the workshop.

3:15 Closing remarks

3:30 Conference ends

There will be supporting displays from the Devon School’s Library service

When you have booked your place a confirmation email will be sent from the website, attached to this will be details of the afternoon workshops. Please indicate a first and second preference and email the form back to . All efforts will be made to accommodate first choices, however places will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Confirmation of the session allocated will be sent to you before the conference.

All delegates will receive a free Pie Corbett Book to support with the development of storytelling and talk for writing within the classroom

Biographies

Chris Smith the Storysmith, is a storyteller, musician and author and was founding director of the Story Museum’s School Story Service. In 1994 Chris moved to Oxford and trained in performance storytelling with the internationally renowned storyteller, Ben Haggarty, and in therapeutic storytelling with Alida Gersie. Since then he has performed in festivals, museums, companies, prisons and many schools. Before becoming a storyteller Chris spent 15 years running charity and community projects in the Middle East, where he collected many of his stories. Chris has most recently worked alongside Pie Corbett as part of a national project where storytelling has been an integral aspect of improving children’s story writing. Email: www.storymuseum.org.uk Telephone: 01865 790050

Bigfoot Theatre – Kate Mears - Director Bigfoot Arts Education (Devon) Ltd
Kate was inspired to act by her Drama teacher at school in Devon, where she grew up. During her adolescence she performedfor the County and National Youth Theatres and wanted to be on stage, until she studied Theatre In Education, as part of her degree. Working in schools, youth centres and prisons, Kate had an insight into the profound effect Drama can have on individual lives and it is this that informed eight years of her career as a teacher.... then she discovered Bigfoot! email - tel 0870 950 9311

David Heathfield is a very experienced performer and workshop leader based in Devon. Be enchanted with his telling of traditional tales from every corner of the globe. Tap into your creativity through spontaneous and collaborative oral storymaking. Have ancient, medieval and modern history brought alive. David works in museums, schools, universities, libraries, businesses and other organisations with all ages and ranges of people. Song, guitar and percussion are often woven into his work. David’s other roles include teacher educator, actor, communication skills trainer and author of the highly practical resource book ‘Spontaneous Speaking: Drama Activities for Confidence and Fluency’ (DELTA Publishing 2005).Telephone: 01392 660562 Email: Website: http://www.davidheathfield.co.uk/

Don Newton is another Devon based storyteller who has worked within many of our Devon schools. Don has been a full-time professional storyteller since 1987, specialising in schools (mainly in the Primary Sector) throughout the West Country, but he also works for both English Heritage and the National Trust, telling stories either to family groups on their sites or for ‘bussed-in’ schools for specific ‘Discovery Visits’ and other ‘odd gigs’ here and there. He tells only Traditional Stories, from all cultures. These are Folk Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends and he has several hundred tucked away in his head. Telephone: 01837 810198 Email: