Storytelling In Your Area - North West England: 2018 onwards

Since January 2018 we have organised the following multi-sensory storytelling sessions:

Peterhouse School, Southport. 16/05/19

Our storyteller ran three multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 24 children with severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from three teachers who judged that all bar one of the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All three rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• “Great multisensory props to experience. Opportunity to engage in a shared attention activity helping to develop attention skills. [I was surprised that] one pupil maintained attention which was just amazing. [In the longer term this will] help build attention.”
• “They engaged really well. Hairdressing story provided an experience of the hairdressers and supported the boys with what to expect. [I was surprised that] they all interacted well.”
• “Children were engaged and appeared to enjoy the use of props. [I was surprised that] all children were focused and very engaged. [In the longer term] this would be a brilliant literacy session. It was lovely and great fun.”

Newlands School, Rochdale. 02/05/19

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 34 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all 34 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All six rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• “Due to the length of time between each section of the story the children sat and engaged throughout. They loved the sensory panels which brought the stories alive. Four of the six children are usually only fleetingly engaged with activities so I was surprised that during this session sat for over 20 mins. [In the longer term this will] help them focus and engage in story sessions. They loved it.”
• “Our class loved the story. They all sat really nicely. [I was surprised that] they interacted and answered questions. Thank you.”
• “The storyteller was enthusiastic and engaging. Sensory materials varied and interesting. [In the longer term this will help] having the materials available to us and it has given staff great ideas. Amazing, thank you.”
• “Children were engaged and happy. Many had an opportunity to sign, speak and practice motor skills. [I was surprised that] A loved the spider and repeated many words during the story. G was well behaved and good turn taking. [In the longer term] I think our children will enjoy having the stories again and learning new words.”
• “[The session helped with] resources which were bright, colourful and interactive. [In the longer term this will help them] to enjoy more sensory stories.”
• “All engaged and did brilliant looking and joining in. [In the longer term this will help them] engage more.”

Lansbury Bridge School, St. Helens. 04/04/19

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 35 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all 35 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Five rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good" and one as “4/5 - Good". Comments were:

• “[The pupils] experienced a different story and resources very appropriate for their learning abilities. Exploration of very tactile sensory materials. Some anticipation and surprise going on. All thoroughly enjoyed the experience. [I was surprised that] two pupils were very focused on listening and watching the storyteller. Three other pupils were very interested in what was on the pages – touching, pulling, exploring. One pupil followed the storyteller and laughed when approached and explored pages. [In the longer term this] helped them explore different touches, sounds, smells. All areas that they are working on throughout the day to develop their senses and help focus on activities. The session was excellent.”
• “They enjoyed the sensory aspects of the story. The children struggle to access non-sensory stories because of their needs. One of the children is very difficult to engage but engaged with the resources.”
• “The pupils engaged so well in the resources. [The Storyteller] made the stories come alive and engaged all the pupils. All pupils sat well for a longer period than usual. Good examples for staff on how to make stories interactive. Pupils will hopefully develop the links of engagement in moving forward when interacting in sensory stories. All of it was great.”
• “Different range of sensory activities and experiences. I was surprised with the reactions of all of them as prior to the session we had lots of behaviours and a very loud moaning. [In the longer term] as staff we are going to begin to develop some sensory stories for children.”
• “Pupils in this group benefit from sensory learning. The enthusiasm of the storyteller ensured pupil engagement.”
• “The children were fully engaged throughout. Many of the children have targets based around focus and anticipation and many were met during the two stories. [I was surprised that] one child who finds it difficult to focus for more than 2 to 5 seconds was really engaged and focused on at least two resources for up to 10 seconds – amazing! [In the longer term] we will use specific and similar resources in our own sessions which seemed to have a significant impact with engagement. All children were all focused and engaged. The Storyteller was very energetic and the children showed anticipation when it was nearly their turn.”

Redwood Secondary School, Rochdale. 21/03/19

Our storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 23 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all bar two of the 23 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All five rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• “Very inclusive interaction. [The Storyteller] was really enthusiastic and students responded excellently. Lots of smiling laughter and eye contact. [I was surprised that] all actively participated in the story. One of the students is usually reluctant to participate but he was really interested fleetingly and showed lots of interest in certain parts of the stories. [In the longer term this will help with] bringing real life experiences to life and to raise knowledge and understanding.”
• “The sensory aspect was adapted really well. Use of the smells of the vanilla ice cream, the noisy seagulls and the touching of the fishnets. We got reactions from all four of our students. Lots of interaction. All four of our students reacted brilliantly. They enjoyed feeling different objects and exploring the sensory story. Our students all reached out to touch the objects. [In the longer term this will help with] exploring different sensory objects. Also the students really enjoyed a visit. A different voice. Great anticipation. Excellent pace. [The Storyteller] was brilliant. The stories were fab. Stories aimed at teenagers although the two stories were generic and ageless and enjoyed by all.”
• “The students were engaged throughout. They enjoyed the total sensory approach. Each student was given enough time to fully access the resources. The storyteller was very enthusiastic and kept everyone engaged throughout. One pupil can sometimes be wary of people she doesn’t know but she was very responsive making eye contact with the storyteller and the resources. It is always beneficial for the participants to engage with new people. It also helps staff giving ideas to expand on the stories and other sessions.”
• “A new experience. New unfamiliar story delivered by a new person. Students had access to new resources. Unfortunately the class were very sleepy today so reactions were low key.”
• “Very interactive stories. [The Storyteller] was very friendly and interacted fantastically with our students. The props were suitable for the level of need and all the students were interested throughout. [I was surprised that] one student who doesn’t actually interact was smiling throughout and participating consistently. Another student who has been off school a lot recently interacted consistently and listened throughout. [In the longer term this will help with] improving their interaction with unfamiliar people and with props for different activities.”

Oswaldtwistle White Ash School, Accrington. 07/03/19

Our storyteller ran four multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 24 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from four teachers who judged that all 24 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All four rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• “All pupils engaged well throughout the story. Anticipated and engaged throughout especially higher ability. Sensory pupils engaged and focused on all the resources. [I was surprised that] one pupil engaged and showed interest in resources. Really good resources and storytelling engaging all our pupils. [In the longer term] hopefully our school will reinvest in Bag Books - they have been used in the past and I feel that these are a very valuable resource to use throughout our school. Fantastic session engaging for all pupils in EYFS. Thank you!!”
• “[The session helped with] anticipation, eye contact, interaction. Good clear props meant great involvement of all the children. Staff - knowledge gained. [I was surprised with the] anticipation and waiting for their turn. [In the longer term] we look forward to using the story box for a period of time to see skills and reactions over half term. Staff learnt how to deliver the story with enthusiasm and participation of all children. Very good. Excellent engaging with all of the children.”
• “Used all senses. Simple language. Lovely well sort out resources. [I was surprised that] all really engaged. [In the longer term] it has given me (teacher) a few ideas. It has also made me rethink pace and length.”
• “The children in the group were all sensory learners. So all props and story boards used were of excellent sensory input. [I was surprised with the] excellent interaction and anticipation. The group were really interactive and the materials used were of excellent material and this meant that the children in the group excelled and excellent interaction and so good to see. Well done. [In the longer term] our children would benefit from daily stories because of constant interactions with props and activities. They were excellent and keep the children motivated and alert too.”

Inscape House School, Cheadle. 28/02/19

Our storyteller ran seven multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 24 children with severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from seven teachers who judged that all 24 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All seven rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• “It was a new experience for the students. They interacted well with the storyboards and the sensory items. [I was surprised that] they all had great smiles and laughter. They all enjoyed feeling the items on the storyboards [In the longer term this will help them] to become more aware of their surroundings.”
• “Students in this class generally find literacy a difficult subject to engage with so a completely different and dramatic style of storytelling really caught their imagination. Overall they all interacted better than expected. Joined in and enjoyed doing so. The staff in class have now seen the Bag Books in action so we will be able to use our own pack properly. This means all students can get a sensory story often. We found it very enjoyable and helpful. Staff feeling quite inspired.”
• “All students reacted much better than expected. They had stated before [the Storyteller’s] arrival that they wouldn’t be doing a story but became and remained immediately engaged.”
• “Very tactile. H and E loved the props. Highly engaging. [I was surprised that] K loved every second. [In the longer term this will] help them to think creatively. Stimulate imagination.”
• “Very interactive and differentiated for all learners. All could participate and enjoy the story. [I was surprised that] lower learners played and interacted with resources whilst higher learners listened instead of walking out of class. [In the longer term] all learnt and listened to the story and will be able to develop imagination skills.”
• “My students are very sensory and like lots of sensory interaction. They benefit from regular interaction during sessions and enjoy getting involved in stories. They communicate using mainly packs but different interaction is good to see. [I was surprised that] all students participated very well especially as it was a big change. They all took turns and waited exceptionally well especially one who normally wants to leave - he sat for longer. [In the longer term] we will definitely use the Bag Books regularly as the students enjoy stories better when interacting.”
• “Students were engaged and gave lots of eye contact. Sensory experience for them was amazing. [I was surprised that] J and D both really enjoyed it. Touching and smelling.”

Springside School, Rochdale. 14/02/19

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 22 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all bar two of the 22 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All six rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• “Each child was fully engaged in the session. Amazing storytelling. The children were absolutely fully engaged and happy to participate. [In the longer term this will help] encourage sitting and listening skills.”
• “The multisensory approach of Bag Books is of great benefit to our learners many with extensive PMLD and they therefore enjoyed the multisensory resources and form of storytelling. The repetition method works wonderfully for learners who are able to gain anticipation skills and a deeper understanding of the story. The staff who benefited from today’s sessions will also now have knowledge of how to deliver Bag Books after observing [the Storyteller] deliver the stories to an outstanding standard therefore benefiting all learners as they have black book sessions in the future.”
• “Great interaction from all three children. Smell, touch, listen, look. [I was surprised that] all three interacted really well. All exceeded expectations and kept smiling throughout. [In the longer term this will help with] focus and interaction. It was excellent.”
• “The books were very well-made and the children were able to interact individually with them. The storyteller was brilliant! [I was surprised that] A reached to press the switch and to touch lots of the props. [In the longer term] the books are very useful for children with complex needs.”
• “Resources were fab. All children included. One child with a severe visual impairment was able to join in and feel the equipment. Children all smiling and enthusiastic to have their turn. Encourages fine motor skills. One of our children really struggles with his fine motor skills but was loving hosting the flag. [The Storyteller] was very enthusiastic and made the children feel very comfortable. We would love to use the equipment or create similar resources to encourage children to use their fine motor skills and senses.”

Hayfield School, Wirral. 07/02/19

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 30 children with severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all bar one of the 30 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Four rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good" and two as “4/5 - Good". Comments were:

• “Children enjoyed the story. Three of the children waited to see what would be next. All sat and listened really well. All children were included and encouraged to feel the boards. Having lots of interactive boards for children helped to keep the children engaged. I was unsure whether one child would sit or feel the boards but he did. He was interested in all boards and love to explore them. Children did great turn taking and all sat really well. Hopefully we will be able to add more sensory to our weekly theme story which will help children continue to build on turn taking. [The Storyteller] really engaged children and encouraged children to feel the sensory boards.”
• “They got involved with the story. Enabled them to access it. All very engaged. R sat and listened for longer than usual. Z was very engaged - usually finds it hard to maintain attention. [In the longer term] would be nice to do some more in class. Good for understanding turn taking, shared attention. It was great.”
• “All of the children took part in the storytelling session. Most able to wait and take turns. One child was really reluctant at the start but by the end he was enthusiastic.”
• “They enjoyed it. Our class is very complex so handled it well. [In the longer term] with regular sessions they could be used to it and love it.”
• “Children loved the visuals and the fact they could touch them. [I was surprised that] the children sat and waited until the visual came round; they normally struggle to wait and take turns. Kept them all engaged. If they had a session regularly I feel it would help with them waiting their turn.”
• “Enjoyed the sensory input. Very engaged. All three children have autism spectrum condition diagnosis. One of the children often hangs back and observes from afar however on this occasion he had a smile on his face the whole time and was lent forward listening and engaging. All the children enjoyed the seagull in the beach story. They interacted with each other as well as the props. [In the longer term] their enjoyment will encourage us to use more story tools in our stories. The children shared the resources really well which they will hopefully carry with them into other activities. The children really enjoyed all the sensory boards and interacted really well. Small group sizes allowed for maximum engagement. Everyone really enjoyed themselves.”

Palmerston School, Liverpool. 24/01/19

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 36 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all bar one of the 36 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All six rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• “[The session helped] instantly. The enthusiasm was welcomed by all participants. More interaction with half of the participants than usual. A is usually non-vocal but she reacted and interacted as well as I have ever seen her!! They do have multisensory storytelling sessions in the curriculum. Feathers, noise, feel and sight really well received best. Level of interaction went up.”
• “Pupil's really enjoyed interactive stories. Lots of different sensory stimuli. Very mixed ability group. Stories enjoyed by all. [I was surprised that] a year 7 boy had been asleep before the session but was very vocal, alert and joining in. [In the longer term this will] give us advice to enhance our sensory stories links to the topics.”
• “[The session helped with] interaction, listening, sensory. Good resources that allowed all students engage and participate. Excellent leading of session with lots of enthusiasm. Some children were unwell and agitated but the five remaining enjoyed the session. Well presented. D interacted well with the steering wheel resource. A did not need his iPad to enjoy the session! [In the longer term this is a] new type of resource that we could initiate in school to engage children. It was excellent.”
• “[The session helped with] spelling, actions, co-ordination and fine motor movements, remembering. Multisensory storytelling for all abilities and ages. [I was surprised that] a usually shy and quiet person was performing all the actions and smiled. Another person who is chatting and noisy was much quieter and listened more than usual. [In the longer term this will help with] storytelling recall - doing it more than once and answering some questions. Very animated [storyteller], very friendly.”
• “All participants enjoyed the sensory story. It was a mixed ability group and all pupils engaged with and interacted with the storyteller. [I was surprised that] J, who usually keeps himself distant, joined the group to listen to the story. The other J was also calm and enjoyed taking turns in the story. T is usually resistant to interact. [In the longer term] it will help them take turns, listen and share when listening to a sensory story in lessons and activities.”
• “J was very involved and began spelling out the word “milk”. He joined the story and stayed in the circle throughout. R really reacted to each of the stimuli. [In the longer term] the pupils will remember the story and would be able to guess some of the story due to their participation within the story.”

Meadowside School, Wirral. 08/11/18

Our storyteller ran four multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 22 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from four teachers who judged that all bar one of the 22 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All four rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• “All were totally involved in the session. They all appeared to enjoy it fully and everyone interacted well with the storyteller. It was accessible to all pupils. Although appearing slightly embarrassed R nevertheless interacted fully whole session and seem to enjoy it. All pupils were engaged in the session. One pupil who sometimes opts out was also fully engaged.”
• “Lots of things to explore and very energetic. All were able to explore and have a go. [I was surprised that] those who struggle to sit still were quiet and engaged for both stories. [In the longer term this will help with] interacting together and sharing an adventure. Experiencing new people.”
• “Children sat together as a group. The children enjoyed the different boards and making something happen on each. [In the longer term] I taught myself how to deliver a multi sensory story effectively.”
• “[The session helped with] developing imagination. Working as a team to listen together. Learning different skills. [I was surprised that] a pupil who never shows any fears was obviously concerned about the bird. [In the longer term this will help with] referring back to story. Asking them to tell their own stories. Asking them to learn different smells.”

Chatsworth High School and Community College, Salford. 01/11/18

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 30 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all bar one of the 30 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All six rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• “All students enjoyed the stories. Good turn taking, touch, smell and asking lots of questions at the end. Wanting to have story again. Good interaction with [the Storyteller] and each other. All the students interacted better than expected by speaking, good eye contact, focused on what was happening, answering questions, happy smiling which resulted with excellent behaviour. [In the longer term] some students enjoy the sequencing of a story and love to get involved. This could help with speech and story making and telling. The props are great. All students really enjoyed the session. It was excellent. It was easy for our students to relate to and they all enjoyed it.”
• “Very interactive. Good visual items. Individual interaction with students engaged through the session. Students engaged with story who would normally become distracted. Students really enjoyed story.”
• “Students engaged and interacted with the story using the objects. Brilliant story. K clapped with the announcement part of the story. T was laughing. Students explored and listened.”
• “Lots of fun. Reactions were fantastic. All students participated, interacted, touched and listened. I enjoyed looking at their reactions.”
• “Our students were able to participate and engage in the session. They all sat and were calm throughout the session. It was interactive and had good visual props. Our students were able to sit for the duration of the session - this is unusual as their attention span isn’t very good. Four of our students were fully engaged in the session. It was good that somebody different was able to come into school to tell stories.”
• “Level of interaction was perfect for this class. Great energy from the storyteller. She managed to make the story personal for each child. One of our students was able to engage more than usual because of the very interactive props. [In the longer term this will help] with language and concentration.”
• “[The session helped with] interaction. Communicated with someone new due to fun and interactive resources. [I was surprised that] one student who is anxious around new people interacted and showed enjoyment. Great for embedding maths and English. One student gave good feedback via PECS for the session.”

Sandfield Park School, Liverpool. 11/10/18

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 26 children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all 26 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All six rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• “The sensory and immersive storytelling was great. Our pupils love fun, engaging activities. They all said they enjoyed it. D was a lot more engaged than we would have expected. A new person, a brand-new story sensory, integration and the Storyteller listening to what he had to say all contributed to this. [In the longer term this will help with] staff support and training on how to deliver bag books (we do already have some ) so they can do them as part of interventions. Everything was wonderful.”
• “The session was engaging interactive and had a surprise element. The sensory books were an effective method for learning. It helped with vocabulary expansion as one of our pupils is learning English. Other pupils benefited from the questions being asked using PODD books. [I was surprised that] some of our pupils in wheelchairs were still able to take part, for example open the chest, turn the key, even children who were limited in movement. Brilliant problem-solving in every story - children also had to find letters (M I L K). I think the session has introduced reading to children like never before. Those stories came to life and the children were part of the story.”
• “Having a new person reading the books was a great experience. The Storyteller’s enthusiasm was infectious!! Although our children enjoy Bag Books, having the Storyteller acting through the story made it so much more exciting and they were happy to join in more. [In the longer term] I think a weekly session would improve our students confidence. The session today has given them memories to recall. It was most enjoyable and although the four students really had fun I think another couple would have added to the experience.”
• “They benefited as they enjoyed being part of the story which captured their attention. [I was surprised that] R was really focused on the stories and liked being involved throughout the stories. [In the longer term] I think today’s session will help build their confidence and also help with communication. I think the way the stories were told and all of the props were fantastic.”
• “Teaches pupils to feel smell and touch things they may not have experienced before. Pupils enjoyed being involved in the story. Role-play, confidence, listening skills and encourage reading to be fun and using imagination. [I was surprised that] all pupils interacted together. They worked as a team and tried to touch all the props. Excellent participation by all pupils.”
• “Lots of different things. Everyone had something they would like. The Storyteller was brilliant with all the pupils. [I was surprised that] N liked smelling the cheese and Z liked the colour and sounds at the fairground [In the longer term] they are able to interact much better with each other through the stories. Everything was great.”

Dee Banks School, Chester. 12/07/18

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 27 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all of the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Four rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good" and one as “4/5 - Good". Comments were:

• “Lots of interaction which they all enjoyed. Good sitting and lots of smiling. All of them were very focused. Brilliant storytelling. Larger-than-life that kept the boys attention. [I was surprised that] there were lots of smiles from J - very focused. Hard for a SC class to sit for so long so it was very beneficial to all. [In the longer term this will help with] being able to cope with sitting and waiting for their personal involvement within the story but still being entertained by it. One focus was one to one with another in their class. I think the whole session was brilliant. Staff were entertained to. Our class thoroughly enjoyed it. Wonderful props. Very flowing. Thank you.”
• “[The session helped with] differentiated through target questioning N / north. Working on the waiting skills. Touching new materials. [I was surprised that] one child was highly involved; he struggles to stay focused but when it came to his turn he regained attention. Lots of smiles. They love the enthusiasm and wide range of sensory used. The teacher loved it too! [In the longer term this will help them] touch more materials confidently. Know that their turn in soon. Extend learning. Focus and attention. Motivator. They enjoyed.”
• “Good story. Very well told. Kept the children engaged and interactive. [I was surprised that] all enjoyed it being so interactive. [In the longer term this will help] encourage them to read more stories. Get a better understanding of stories. Was excellent.”
• “All listened and participated in the first story which is unusual for three of the children. All enjoyed the sensory parts of the story and the interactive parts. In the second half of the second-story the seagull grabbed their attention. The Storyteller made sure all participated in the story so did amazingly well!! [In the longer term this will help with] getting them to sit and listen and also better instructions to the participation for the sensory parts.”
• “[The session helped with] turn taking and fine motor skills. The story held their attention better than I thought it would. [In the longer term this will] Help develop listening skills.”

Landgate School - Secondary, Ashton-in Makersfield. 14/06/18

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 34 children with severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all 34 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All six rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• “This group of students don't often get the opportunity to access sensory activities as they are of a higher ability but they loved the story and the sensory experiences. [I was surprised that] they particularly enjoyed the music and bopped along to it. [In the longer term this will help] as part of their learning as more complex texts. They could use this type of experience to full immerse.”
• “The storytelling was excellent The learners were enthralled, enjoying the exciting presentation. Each learner being given their own turn and time. The story was told in engaging way and the book props were multi-sensory helping the learners become a real part of the story. [I was surprised that] one learner was particularly enthralled and couldn't take her eyes away from the storyteller and the props she was using. Another learner is very reluctant to try new things and does not like smells but he smelled it without hesitation. [In the longer term] they will be able to recount the story discussing with each other and with an adult. They could develop their own skills by writing about the story or make props which would help some learners to remember what they saw and heard. Excellent.”
• “They were very engaged with the story. Good resources to go with the story. All learners interacted well. One in particular really engaged with the story and sensory boards. [In the longer term this will help them] to use sensory boards in lesson times”
• “This was a fantastic session. All of the learners were able to take part and they all really enjoyed it, the stories were very sensory which our learners enjoy. All four learners reacted better than expected, really looking and listening and taking part in both stories. [In the longer term] it gives learners confidence being in a small group and taking part.”
• “Our learners enjoy more hands on practical learning so it was a very nice session. Learners seemed engaged and excited.”
• “The session was very well delivered. The storyteller was animated and fun! [In the longer term] I think it encourages focus for other activities.”
• “Sensory story. Enthusiastic storytelling. Helps with turn taking and thinking about the next stage of the story. [I was surprised that] lower ability learners enjoyed the sensory aspect whilst higher ability could predict. [In the longer term this will help with] attention, focus, sensory experience, depicting a story and turn taking. Perfect session.”

Progress School, Preston. 07/06/18

Our storyteller ran seven multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 7 children with severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from seven teachers who judged that all 7 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All seven rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• “T listened really well and participated in holding objects and touching the boards. T was lying on the floor and the storyteller was bringing the boards to him. T was hitting the board and the gong. T was happy to participate and found it easier to have things bought to him.”
• “Although the pupil refused the activity at the beginning the staff engaged him very well in the end. He repeated the key words and touched the sensory boards. [In the longer term this will help with] improving vocabulary, better social interaction and the focus of attention for a longer time.
• “T enjoyed the interaction and the smelly cheese. Enjoyed the noise of the baked bean cans. Kept his interest all the way through. [In the longer term this will help with] dealing with loud noises when out.”
• “[The storyteller] engaged with the young person really well. Good tool to use for learning to read. Excellent interaction from the young person. Engaged really well. [In the longer term this] will help to learn to read as young person loves looking at books. Helping young person to tolerate different smells.”
• “Engaged the young person really good. Great for sensory needs and good learning to read and listening really well. Great for learning to spell. Great interaction and engaged - listened well. [In the longer term this] will help the young person to read and role play. Young person enjoyed the colours and different things he can interact with.”
• “The young person enjoyed the session, accepted help from staff and interacted. Lots of smiles which showed she was happy and interested.”

Green Fold School, Bolton. 24/05/18

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 39 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all of the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Four rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good" and one as “4/5 - Good". Comments were:

• “Good use of props All participants were given chance to take part. Good use of fine motor skills with props. It was lovely for our pupils to experience a new person reading them a story and seeing a new way for a story to be presented.”
• “All participants benefitted from the story session today. Very happy children. Two very good stories which the children enjoyed. [I was surprised that] K flapped and got really excited whilst D stayed focussed throughout the session and giggled when being tickled. All children enjoyed the props. [In the longer term this will help with] more exploring and trusting new people.”
• “The Storyteller was very animated and engaging. Boards were easy accessible and every child was able to explore. [I was surprised that] they were engaged for extended periods. We hope for our pupils to have more access to multi-sensory stories and storytelling. Also give Teachers, TA’s and staff lessons to develop. The Storyteller was fantastic. Thank you so much.”
• “The sensory props used throughout the story made the story even more exciting. As the children in our class engage well with sensory props it was very beneficial. The storyteller was very enthusiastic and helped the children engage with the story. [I was surprised that] the children were more involved, very engaged, reaching out. Good for children with HI and VI as includes noises and smells. [In the longer term this will be] very good for including some children’s targets e.g. posting things and sliding doors for fine motor skills.”
• “It was great for all areas of learning. Lovely props to explore. [I was surprised that] all enjoyed exploring the props and joining in. [In the longer term we plan to] have more sessions in school.”

Lancasterian School, Manchester. 17/05/18

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 28 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all bar two of the 28 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All six rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• “Each of our children seemed to enjoy both of the stories. All of them managed to sit and stay focussed. They really enjoyed all the objects in the stories too. One of the children did a lot of vocalising that they would not usually do.”
• “Our pupils have really enjoyed the story. They've enjoyed the touch, smell and sound that was used for the story. The materials that were used were very good for our children to explore. [I was surprised that] all our participants co-operated very well. They smiled, looked at the pops and reached out. They were very engaged listening to the story. For example one child enjoyed touching the beard and another was fascinated looking at the treasure box. [In the longer term] they will benefit to listen to more of these sensory stories which will encourage their listening skills and exploring sensory materials.”
• “The children were able to investigate different resources (sensory boards). Slightly different than other class activities - wide range of resources. And accessible. Great enthusiasm from the storyteller who gave her enthusiasm and interaction to the pupils. [I was surprised that] K was excited when presented with resources, F and O were both engaged for long periods of time, F interacted with resources and was willing to investigate, A appeared to enjoy the session and resources. [In the longer term this will help] pupils to receive sensory stories several times a week. The stories are different to the stories delivered in school. Variety of story/resources that differ from school resources. Beneficial for staff to gain understanding of how to deliver a quality, pacey and interactive session. Excellent session delivered at a good pace that involved and included all the pupil's in the group. Great passion and enthusiasm from the storyteller when both delivering the stories and during the welcome. Great resources that were all accessible. Many thanks - great enjoyable session.”
• “Very sensory for all the learners in the class and was adapted for the different learners. [I was surprised that] they all reacted in different ways especially 'surprises' there were included in the story. [In the longer term this will help with] anticipating reactions in the story, which engages emotional feelings associated with the story. Ties in with the curriculum.”
• “Lots of sensory props. Smelling touching and great interaction. Children really enjoyed the story especially the snakes. Very different to their other sensory stories like the rickety train. [I was surprised that there was] lots of smiling, laughs and good looking from some pupils. Pupils looked like they were really enjoying the stories. One child reacted really well to the smelling- smelling the mango. One girl did very good looking. Another girl did lots of the activities which are different than she is used to. [In the longer term] todays story helped with good looking and touching. The storyteller was fantastic at telling the stories and the children were really engaged. Thank you.”
• “Storytelling was very interactive with a fantastic storyteller. Participants were alert and engaged and thoroughly enjoyed the story. Very accessible to all the learners, incorporates numeracy and encourages movement and communication with sensory responses. I was very impressed with responsiveness from two students in particular. Lovely to see the storyteller - good experience for myself to witness - more animation to get more engagement and responses. Can we keep you for more than one day?!”

Landgate School - Primary, Ashton-in Makersfield. 10/05/18

Our storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 40 children with severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all 40 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All five rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• “The storybooks were excellent for our sensory learners. All learners were engaged, waiting their turn of each page. Learners even gestured for more. Loved the tactile pages and our learners particularly enjoyed the musical page. [I was surprised that] all learners were engaged for both stories. [In the longer term this will] allow them to enjoy storytelling sessions, help them to retell stories and also sequence them. We will also be able to use the books for the learners to retell or make up their own stories.”
• “All sensory aspects kept all learners engaged. [I was surprised they were] smiling and touching all objects. [In the longer term this will help them to be] more engaged in stories and I will be able to use these techniques in future.”
• “They all engaged with the story and each one took time to look. [I was surprised that] all learners were calm and gave good eye contact. They looked at sensory boards. [In the longer term] knowing that the learners are calm and engaged means I can adapt class stories into a more sensory way to benefit learners. Everything was spot on.”
• “All engaged with the session and showed good attention. The multi-sensory elements enabled children to experience stories in an exciting and engaging way. [I was surprised that] all learners sat for long periods and maintained attention. W repeated phrases from the story whilst K added his own detail. [In the longer term this will] allow them to sit for an extended time period. I will be able to present literature in engaging ways. It will encourage learners to engage with stories better in the future.”
• “They were more interested in a story. Were all excited for their turn. Two learners were totally engaged when normally they show no interest, especially one who usually walks off but sat throughout. [In the longer term this will help with] concentration levels.”

Heaton Special School, Stockport. 07/05/18

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 33 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all bar two of the 33 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All six rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• “The students responded really well. They really enjoyed touching the props. [I was surprised that] one student who is visually impaired and tactile defensive touched the props which is excellent for her. [In the longer term] they will hopefully have more access to the sensory stories we already have in school.”
• “Repetition, simplicity and resources. One student was much more engaged that expected. [In the longer term this will help with] communication and working in a group.”
• “All participants were engaged. They focused on the sensory props and explored them (supported if necessary). [I was surprised that] one student grabbed the furry spider with both hands. Another used their hand to explore the sea urchin for a good length of time. A third student remained quiet and calm during the story and a fourth student held and shook an instrument independently. [In the longer term this will help with] social interaction, communication and willing to explore sensory objects.”
• “A new way for interaction, focus, calming and enjoyable session. When the story was repeated there seemed to be recognition, suggesting to me that repetition was useful. More sessions would be useful. [In the longer term this will help with] improving focus and mood. This was a 1:1 session and was ideal for the listener. Thought the session was perfect.”
• “Resources and props were excellent – very interactive and prompted students to laugh at each other and reach out for their turn. [I was surprised that] N, who often opts out, was laughing and interacting with all the props. He especially liked the wig and the mirror.”
• “Very interactive. Some students raised their heads, listening more and more as the story continued. Physical everyday objects we use and action. Expressive storytelling, physical interaction. Repetition good. The pupils were engaging with every activity more and more, as activity continued. Some students looking at each other and anticipating their turn and looking at each others' reactions. [In the longer term this will help with] using everyday items in social situations.”

Woodlands School, Blackpool. 14/03/18

Our storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 35 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all bar two of the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Two rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good" and three as “4/5 - Good". Comments were:

• “It was beneficial due to being hands on. Maybe could have done with duplicate props. If done more frequently the children would be able to be more involved i.e. doing signs and noises.”
• “The children enjoyed the props and sound effects and being involved in it. [I was surprised that] one child listened to the noises really well and showed a reaction. The other children enjoyed taking part and waited well for their turn. [In the longer term] they could develop listening and recall skills. It could be used to give pupils a choice to tell the story themselves.”
• “Our pupils enjoyed the interaction in the story. They enjoyed looking and touching the different things. They also did very well taking turns. One child who doesn't usually sit in circle time sat during the entire story because he liked joining in. Every child joined in with all the interactions. Lots of eye contact and answers given. [In the longer term] they may be more willing to sit and take turns as they know they will get a turn. Staff have come away with new ideas.”
• “The children really enjoyed the story and was beneficial as it was hands on. [I was surprised that] some of the children sat and listened and enjoyed the interaction. [In the longer term this will help with] interaction, turn taking, exploring, learning to listen, joining in and using their voice. Overall our 5 children enjoyed the session and the interaction and listened. They did really well using the props. All the children enjoyed this session.”
• “It matched different sensory needs and preferences. Children with hearing impairment enjoyed the tactile and visual props. [I was surprised that] C was excited by the more interactive elements of story. B touched more things than he sometimes does. [In the longer term this] will help staff in telling interactive and sensory stories. Helped some of them to follow whole story.”

The Coppice School, Preston. 13/03/18

Our storyteller ran seven multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 46 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from seven teachers who judged that all bar two of the 46 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Six rated the overall experience as “5/5 - Very Good" and one as “4/5 - Good". Comments were:

• “The pupils benefited because it was fun, visual, exciting and very expressive. All the pupils thoroughly enjoyed it and showed this by joining in, laughing and generally having a good time. We thought some of the older pupils may have found the story too young for them but it definitely wasn't! They loved it! [In the longer term] we can tailor stories to our pupil’s abilities. [The Storyteller] was fantastic!”
• “They all enjoyed the sensory element and interacted well. They were very interested. H was especially interested asking lots of questions. M reacted really well and did excellent talking "hey go away". E did brilliantly too and knew how to switch off the clippers - she wanted them back. I will try to include more similar everyday activity type stories into my planning. It was all great!”
• “Very engaged with the different props. [I was surprised that] some children were more relaxed during the story and willing to investigate and listen [In the longer term this will help] have them more focussed on daily stories. Gave more ideas for staff.”
• “A very good story that engaged the children. [I was surprised that there was] better exploring props with hands rather than mouth.”
• “Each child was given time to interact with each part of the story and engage. [I was surprised that] all reacted well. One child vocalised excitedly throughout and touched all the storyboards. She showed a lot of interest. I would be keen to repeat sessions like this one to engage my sensory learners. I was very happy. The storyteller was friendly and used all the children’s names which was lovely.”
• “Each student engaged well with the story. The storyteller allowed time for their responses and they showed their enjoyment by smiling and laughing. [I was surprised that] one of our quieter students danced to the pier music. I was so pleased to see her engaged. I think it encourages the students to try different touches sounds and movements etc. and to engage in the group activity.”
• “Engaging, entertaining, fun. Encouraged vocalisation and communication. It really engaged two students who are difficult to engage. [In the longer term] staff can add elements to everyday practice.”

END