We all benefit from being engaged, intrigued or fascinated by a new character or imagining an alternate world. World Book Day celebrates great books, storytelling and story sharing with the aim of bringing children and stories together. The theme for this year is ‘Share a Million Stories’. Here are our top tips for fully being immersed this World Book Day and beyond!
1. In the spirit of this year’s theme, be inspired to encourage your pupils to share stories. Get pupils to ask their families about their favourite books and stories, hold book swaps with pupils and staff, invite a local author to share a story, or create a book review wall where pupils write about their favourite book promoting it to other pupils.
2. Spend some more time in your school library. School libraries are often quiet - too quiet! Get those spaces filled with children scouring the shelves for the next adventure they want to uncover. For World Book Day and for the next month why not try to have your class spend time in the library, perhaps in a pop-up café style or hold ‘screenings’ where pupils can hear a reading of a classic book at break or lunch time.
3. Have your class make up a story together. There may be one group of pupils developing the characters, another group creating the setting, and another beginning to develop the plot. This promotes collaboration and teamwork whilst engaging their imagination. You could encourage themes of sharing, diversity and appreciating differences in others. You may also learn about some of the important things in their lives, from their point of view by allowing them the space to invent and create a new narrative together.
4. Read along with your pupils. For example, find (or let a pupil choose) a book they like and then both of you read it together at the same time. This is also known as paired reading. It can benefit anxious, shy or struggling readers to give reading a go in the spirit of uncovering the story and not only to meet a target. Reading in this way can continue beyond World Book Day, as an intervention. Learning & Wellbeing Psychology can help your setting implement it with staff or parents.
5. Share your own story. Have you ever considered the stories you tell about yourself? Is there a story about yourself which can tell of resilience, recovery, determination, hope, or fun that you can share with your pupils? Take the chance to share it this World Book Day. If you’re feeling really zealous, perhaps do it in a creative way such as through video or using music and song!
At Learning & Wellbeing Psychology, we serve the community through bringing educational and therapeutic approaches to educational settings for the benefit of staff and students. Contact us to find out more.
