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How will you mark National Storytelling Week this year?
Celebrate small wins
What’s your January survival strategy? For me, it’s taking the small wins. Whether it’s a child beaming with delight when you praise their very best handwriting, or your school triumphing in after-school Lacrosse tournament, you have to celebrate those moments when you forget that it’s dark, cold and drizzly outside. My latest win occurred this morning, when I read to my class. It was one of those moments where a story hits the sweet spot, and the children sat silently, hanging on every word. A moment to treasure.
Think back to your own primary school days and you will remember a moment like this, a time when you felt immersed in a story you were told. I vividly remember feeling terror I felt when my teacher first described the Grand High Witch, and the excitement of meeting Smaug towards the end of the Hobbit. These were powerful stories, read by someone who loved them, and all I had to do was enjoy them. I wasn’t required to decode any words or answer any comprehension questions. This was reading as experiencing, and I enjoyed every second.
Reading for pleasure
Time pressures mean that reading for pleasure, for experience and for joy can be neglected within our busy school curriculum, but next week, this can change. From Monday 2nd February to Sunday 8th February, it is National Storytelling week. This fantastic event is a joyful celebration of the power of sharing stories. Stories teach us about the world; they allow us to step into someone else’s shoes and feel empathy; they help us to relax and escape.
Forming part of the National Year of Reading 2026, National Storytelling Week is particularly important this year. Why? Because fewer and fewer young people enjoy reading. Research from National Literacy Trust states that just 1 in 3 young people are reading for pleasure, the lowest rate for twenty years. The drop in reading enjoyment over the last year has been especially steep among primary-aged children and boys, particularly boys aged 11 to 16.
The same research suggests that young people can be motivated to read when they have access to material related to films, TV shoes or songs. As someone who hasn’t grown out of poring over song lyrics, I understand. Each National Storytelling Week has a theme, and this year’s is Soundtrack your Story. For younger children, the aim is to promote storytelling through singing, dancing and rhythm, while older children explore the stories behind song lyrics.
So, how will you mark National Storytelling Week with your class this year?
Here are some suggestions:
1. Simply share a story
Perhaps organise an assembly in which adults share some their favourite stories. Not just teachers, invite the caretaker, the governors and the kitchen staff as well.
2. Story sticks and the power of drama
While no performer myself, I love drama activities simply because the children get so much enjoyment from them. Sit your class in a circle and ask a couple of children to act out different parts from a story. Embellish your story by adding gestures and movements that are easy to act out. After a page or two, swoosh your magical story stick, prompting your original performers to sit down, then select some new ones. After a few rounds, even the shyest child will be keen to participate.
3. Recreate and retell
Use or make puppets in order to retell new or favourite stories. Invite children to prepare and perform shows to each other. If you are tech-savvy, use techniques such as stop-motion to create mini-movies.
4. Story speed dating
Of course, I make up a different name for this activity when sharing it with children. Ask your children to bring a favourite story to school, and give them time to summarise it. When done, arrange your tables into one long stretch and give each child a few minutes to share their story summary (and book) with the child opposite. Ring a bell when time is up, then ask children on one side of the table to move one seat to their left, while those opposite move one seat to the right. Repeat the activity with your new partner.
5. Musical prompts
Raid the music trolley or use instruments to create soundscapes for different parts of a story. Recreate the sound of the seashore from Kensuke’s Kingdom or create a rhythm so catchy that Gerald the Giraffe will start to dance to it.
6. Examine song lyrics
Read, examine and analyse (suitably clean) song lyrics. Disney songs, musical hits and classic pop songs that many children already know are useful here. Can children understand the message of the song? What questions would they ask the singer? Could they write a verse of their own, or tweak the lyrics to suit their own ends? Some favourites of mine are as follows:
Blowing in the Wind – Bob Dylan
How Far I’ll go - Moana
Naughty - Matilda the Musical
Moanin’ Lisa Blues – The Simpsons
Wake Me Up – Avicii
Space Oddity – David Bowie
7. Use ideas from an established provider
There are lots of great ideas to be found on established platforms. The National Literacy Trust has created a project with storyteller Alim Kamara. Platforms such as Euhu often have great articles and inspiring ideas about upcoming events. Have a look and see what you can find.
And finally…As National Storytelling Week approaches, please don’t see it as just another thing to fit into your curriculum. It is a chance for another small win. A chance to have one of those wonderful teaching moments when your class hang onto your every word. It is a chance to share a story or a song, once again. Enjoy every moment.
Mike is a primary teacher and a member of the EuHu teacher board.
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EuHu is Findel’s digital learning platform designed to support teachers with high-quality resources, CPD, and curriculum content. Our mission is to make teaching easier by providing practical tools and ideas that reflect the realities of the classroom.
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