The Story Spinner is a series of 42 stories on DVD created especially for use in Primary Schools. There are six stories for each year group, from Reception to Year 6 – creating a unique resource for the entire school.
‘Just walking into the classroom holding one of the DVDs causes a ripple of excitement to run through the class.’
— Patricia Horsnell, teacher.
The Story Spinner tales have been carefully chosen from a range of cultures, providing you with a rich library of 42 stories, all contained within one DVD box set. Each story can be viewed again and again, year after year and be enjoyed across the whole school – from Reception to Year 6. With each DVD, a teachers’ booklet provides essential background information and plot summaries, ensuring that you have everything you need to plan and support your classroom teaching.
* 7 DVD box set
* 6 stories on each DVD
* Reception to Year 6
* Teachers’ booklet with each DVD
The Story Spinner DVDs contain a diverse mix of stories, folktales and fairytales from around the world. Some of these tales your children may already be familiar with, such as the well-known classics by Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm. Others will provide exciting new discoveries, including tales from as far as way as Cambodia, China and the Philippines.
* 42 carefully chosen stories“The Story Spinner DVDs have contributed significantly to raising standards in reading, writing and speaking and listening through the use of talk for writing”
— Eve Bearne - Cambridge University
— Marilyn Mottram - School Effectiveness Advisor, Birmingham.
Each tale is told to the camera by the master storyteller. There are no gimmicks, pictures or sound effects; the storyteller simply engages with the class through the expressive use of words and gestures. This is the true power of oral storytelling – to let the words paint the pictures in the children’s minds, allowing them to imagine and explore the characters and settings free of any influences or restrictions.
* Presented by a master storyteller
* No gimmicks or sound effects
The Story Spinner resource is accessible to children of all ages and abilities. Unlike a conventional storybook where children may be put off or limited by words that they cannot decode, The Story Spinner uses spoken language that is rich but not exclusive. There are no barriers to children enjoying each and every story and picturing the scenes and characters in their own minds. This resource has already had fantastic success with children with special needs and English as an additional language.
* Rich and accessible language“This is a great resource to help children learn. They only see the storyteller’s facial expressions and gestures, so the images they create in their minds are completely unique to them. This unleashes their imaginations which in turn inspires their writing.”
— Carol Smith, Literacy Consultant, Milton Keynes.
The tales have been chosen to compliment the Renewed Primary Framework and National Strategy materials: Talk for writing and Support for writing. Teachers that have used Story Spinner in the classroom have found it a valuable tool in encouraging discussion, developing speaking and listening skills and raising standards in writing. Each story also offers opportunities for drama, art, citizenship and other creative activities across the curriculum.
* Linked to the Renewed Framework
* Encourages speaking and listening
* Raises standards in writing
* Flexible and cross-curricular
The Story Spinner resource has been proven to contribute significantly to the raising of standards in writing. As case studies and evaluation reports have shown, by watching the DVDs and listening to the stories, children invariably want to explore and tell their own stories. In doing so, they exhibit remarkable improvements in their written work, displaying a greater understanding of characterisation, story structure and sequencing, as well the confident use of new vocabulary.
* Encourages children’s own storytelling
* Improves key writing skills
* Builds confidence and self-esteem
The Story Spinner also offers interactive half-day and whole-day workshops, led by experienced professionals, to help you make the most of this exciting resource in your school. As well as exploring the links with key National Strategy materials, the session will also focus on using the stories to develop children’s writing and to provide evidence to support periodic assessment.
* Story Spinner Learning workshops“The power of story to engage, amaze and disturb is presented here in a compelling collection, brilliantly told. If you buy nothing else this year, buy The Story Spinner and enjoy the journey.”
— Eve Bearne, University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education.
The Story Spinner DVDs have already had an extraordinary impact on children’s learning in schools across the UK. If you wish to find out more about what The Story Spinner could do for you and your classroom, then call 020 7483 0644 or email maria@thestoryspinner.co.uk
January 18th, 2010
You can make Storytelling Week last all year with the Story Spinner DVDs.
Imagine having access to your very own storyteller, every day. Imagine a storyteller you can pause, rewind and watch again and again!
Imagine the difference it could make in your classroom.
Now available to order on Free 30 day approval, so there’s absolutely no risk to you.
October 30th, 2009
The Story Spinner was reviewed in the recent Schools Library Association magazine. Prue Goodwin writes – “There are few things more powerful than watching and listening to a good teller of tales and that is precisely what the Story Spinner DVDs provide – stories told directly to camera (no acting, no pictures) for all primary children.
This invaluable collection (one DVD for each primary year from Reception to Year 6) includes traditional tales from accross the globe, stories in contemporary settings, tear-jerkers, side-splitters, fables and folk tales to suit every mood and time (and incidentally, every aspect of narrative required by the current Framework for Literacy).
The only slightly daunting aspect of these materials is the price, but compared to buying in an actual storyteller, it is very reasonable – and you get masses of stories which can be watched again and again for years to come. And let’s face it, as stories are what makes us human, they will never go out of fashion; as story is the most potent means of learning, no school should ever be without them.”
October 30th, 2009
We’re delighted to announce that The Story Spinner has been chosen to be part of the ‘Inspire Rotherham’ project, running until 2011.
We will publish more information and results as we receive them.
September 7th, 2009
We are really pleased to announce that one of the Year 4 stories from the series has been selected as a resource on the Primary National Strategy website.
You can visit the National Strategies Site here.
August 27th, 2009
Discover how Birmingham schools experienced outstanding results in children’s writing, thanks to The Story Spinner DVDs. Read the Final Evaluation of the Story Spinner here.
“The Story Spinner sows the seed for teachers, children, families to weave their own tales of wonder and delight for the National Year of Reading and beyond.”
— Marilyn Mottram, School Effectiveness Adviser, Birmingham LA. Read More »
July 9th, 2009
Children at Tonbridge Dyslexia Action Centre became storytellers of their own, thanks to the magic of the Story Spinner.
‘In my opinion, the Story Spinner DVDs are an extremely effective tool in highlighting to the students the importance of description and expression in stories.’
— Shobha Coutinho, Principal at Tonbridge Dyslexia Action Read More »
July 4th, 2009
“These stories have been created for every age group and the DVD includes ideas for how to use them in schools. Each story is wonderfully told. Members of the panel delighted in the stories and had many tales to tell of their effect in classrooms.
Moving, amusing and enthralling, this set of DVDs is a wonderful example of a multimodal text using talk and gesture to great effect and fully deserves the UKLA Commendation.”