The Scottish Storytelling Forum is the leading organisation promoting oral storytelling in its traditional and contemporary forms, aiming to give every child in Scotland the experience of live storytelling.

At its heart, storytelling is a creative activity that connects us with the people around us and with our past, present and future, opening the world of imagination.

Storytelling engages the four core creativity skills identified in Education Scotland’s Impact Report on creative learning which apply across the Curriculum for Excellence.

Curiosity

Open-mindedness

Imagination

Problem Solving

The magic of storytelling has the power to bring the curriculum to life, enabling vivid and embodied learning and understanding across all subject areas.

Stories are a great way to explore themes and projects that meet cross-curricular experiences and outcomes.

Gifting Every Child

Storytelling is well known for its success in developing a love of language and vocabulary, contributing to the development of literacy across learning.

In schools where improving basic literacy levels is a priority, storytelling can be used to quickly raise standards while developing skills, knowledge and confidence in a range of other areas.

Listening to stories provides a springboard for active learning, play and creativity.

Children can ‘play’ with stories using different media, including creative writing, drama, music, movement, dance, visual art, craft activities, animation and ICT.

Creating and telling stories encourage a child’s confidence in self-expression.

It teaches awareness of how to contribute appropriately and to value other people’s contributions.

It can help develop emotional literacy and respect, as pupils gain confidence by telling their own story in front of their peers.

Booking Guidelines

Book a Storyteller

In classrooms with children from diverse backgrounds, stories can be told that reflect the children’s own cultures or identities. Storytelling can be used to explore sensitive topics, such as bullying.

Storytelling is particularly helpful to support children during times of transition.

Children can benefit from developing their storytelling skills throughout their education.

Regularly engaging with storytelling and story-making activities in the classroom creates a culture of communication, confidence, collaboration, understanding and respect.

Storytelling is a wonderful and much-needed way to make schools more engaging and effective, especially in areas of social deprivation.

A visit from a storyteller will inspire all and enrich ongoing classroom activity.

Please contact Storytelling Development Officers, Miriam and Fiona, Miriam and Fiona for more information on education, training and CPD opportunities.

Email Miriam and Fiona