Each year, libraries, schools and book clubs across the country open their doors for national storytelling week.
Get your children involved and open their imagination by taking some time to read a great story. Learn more about this event from QuidMarket.
The importance of storytelling
By reading to your child you will not only open their imagination, but you can really improve their education and vocabulary.
Studies have shown that reading to a child for 5 minutes per evening will expose them to 282,000 words per school year.
This adds up to 180 minutes of reading per school year. However, by reading for 20 minutes per day you can show them a massive 1.8m words per school year.
Statistics also show that children who are read to for 20 minutes per day will often score in the 90th percentile by the time they leave school.
By the end of primary school, a child who reads for 20 minutes per day will have read for 60 days, stirring their imagination, learning which can then in turn help with confidence and their level of achievement in other subjects.
Join the thousands
Last year, over 14,500 people visited the national storytelling week website. You can still go to the website to receive a copy of your resource pack that can help you see the difference between telling a story and reading.
You can also visit their Facebook page to join the discussion with other storytellers, upload pictures and exchange ideas for how to make stories more interesting for children.
Storytelling events
Go to the National Storytelling website for a list of events in your area this week, from down in Devon to the North of Scotland, find an event near you to go join in the storytelling fun.
You don’t need anything other than your imagination.
Half Term
So, over the next few weeks, children will be off school for the week during half-term holidays.
As the weather is still very wintry, why not make some day trips to the library and start your own storytelling week at home.
Take a look at our half term blog here from last year – a lot of the venues will be running similar events this year!
