I’m a master storyteller and here are my 9 tips on how to master the ancient art of storytelling

I’m a master storyteller and here are my 9 tips on how to master the ancient art of storytelling

Master storyteller and Londoner, Jennifer David at Debutots has witnessed a surge in demand for traditional ways to entertain children.

There has been an increase in parent/child attendance at Debutots’ storytelling classes and school clubs are also selling out with growing waiting lists. Besides storytelling, parents are keen to keep their children away from screens and go back to other traditional forms of entertainment. Holiday camp spaces covering circus skills, magicians, discos and team games are being snapped up too.

Jennifer David, master storyteller, professional drama teacher and Debutots franchisee commented: “For too long now we’ve let storytelling wane under competition from captivating multimedia such as TVs and mobile phones. But in these challenging times parents want to go back to basics when connecting with their children. They want to help them to make sense of the world away from the screen and through the magic of storytelling.”

The mum of three added: “It doesn’t surprise me that we are seeing a revival in storytelling, as it results in an abundance of benefits. Besides educational gains, it’s relaxing and encourages sleep, fosters curiosity, helps to grow imagination, develops language, concentration and emotional literacy, manages behaviour and most importantly it’s fun.”

She concluded: “Of course these benefits do also apply to reading a book. But unlike reading a book, the ancient art of storytelling is much more engaging. Our stories are always interactive, even the shiest of children can’t stop themselves from joining in, but there’s no pressure, no spotlight, so their confidence and participation really does grow organically. Also, the storyteller has the freedom to bring their personality into the activity because they are not bound by the words in a book plus they are able to give their listeners a deeper eye to eye connection, something that you cannot do when reading a book.”

If you’d like to have a go at storytelling then here are some tips from professional storyteller, Jennifer David (who also runs workshops for staff in the childcare industry as well as parents) on how to get started:

Getting started
Don’t worry if you are feeling tentative as children are forgiving listeners, and will be excited that you are giving them your undivided attention in this new way.

Natural storytellers will be able to pull a story out of the air, but if you’re lacking in confidence then why not spend just a few minutes preparing your first story…

Preparation is key
Before you get started, think about how long you want the story to be. You’ll also need to think about the tone of the story. If it’s almost bedtime then a relaxing and less dramatic story would work but if you have more time then a longer and a more interactive story could work well. You could even continue it on consecutive days, but perhaps make a quick note of what you’ve covered each time as although you may not remember, your child most likely will!

Setting the scene
Set the scene at the beginning, and remember that children love getting lost in the magical world of stories so let your inner magician loose! Consider if there’s going to be a ‘problem’ in the story, something that needs to be solved.

Dilemma
What’s the dilemma? Perhaps your main character attempts a few times, in different ways, to solve the problem, before finding a solution at the end.

Repetition
Children love repetition, and it can make it easier for you to structure your story too.

Make it familiar
Choose a subject or characters for the story that you know you and your children will enjoy. If you enjoy what you’re talking about it’ll make it easier to bring passion to it. Consider making your child the main character in the story, I know my own children used to love that!

Enjoy the experience
Most of all, have fun with it! Explore using different voices and body language for the characters eg a bear will have a deep voice, a puffed up chest, whilst the mouse might have a squeaky high pitched voice and you can screw up your eyes and nose to signify its little face. There’s one thing that’s an absolute guarantee – the more fun you have with the story, the more fun it will be to listen to.

Songs/rhymes
Once you get more confident you could even think about introducing a simple and catchy rhyme or song as part of your story too.

Finding a suitable time for story questions to gauge feelings
A useful exercise for after the story, perhaps the next day, is to introduce ‘story questions’, for example “How do you think the bear felt when the mouse said X to him?” “How old do you think the bear was?” “What colour did you imagine the mouse was?” Not only does this help you understand your child’s comprehension of the story, but it gives you a chance to explore feelings together and helps your child make sense of the story world and the world we live in. It’s also just a great example of connection with your child.

Support for parents and teachers
If you’re interested in attending one of Jennifer’s storytelling workshops for parents or teachers then she can be contacted via the Debutots website.

Leicester TV

Education Technology Day must be extended to prisons

Education Technology Day must be extended to prisons

Typically thought of as being an easy to clean area of the home, hard floors have risen in popularity in recent decades. Globally, hard floors are the most common floor type,2 and research released today by Dyson has uncovered poor cleaning habits that mean hard floors are likely to be harbouring an array of hidden nasties. This comes as 32% of Brits – equating to 21.6 million people in the UK – will use the same dirty mop head for six months or more before replacing it. What’s more, one in 20 also admit to keeping the same mop for a year or longer, and one in 10 think it is acceptable to use the same mop 100 times, spreading dirt around their floors every time they use it. Cross contamination is a primary issue for most common and traditional mopping methods with germs and bacteria further being unknowingly spread around homes as Brits use dirty water to clean floors.3 45% only change the water to new water between rooms, whereas 41% wait even longer until it looks dirty. This could mean that floors are being washed with dirty water, adding more dirt rather than taking it away. Surprisingly, almost one in 10 (9%) even admit to not changing the dirty water at all when mopping. Over a quarter (28%) admit to mopping their floors once a fortnight or less while over half (53%) admit they don’t regularly clean behind appliances and leave dirt to build up for as long as six months at a time. image002.jpg On how to achieve a perfect barefoot clean feel after mopping, Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert offers their top tips for eliminating dirt around the home: 1. Create a cleaning schedule to stay on top of dirt build-up. In the last year, there has been a 15% global reduction in the number of people who maintain regular cleaning schedules. 47% of the British public admitted to only being motivated to clean when they spot visible dirt or dust.4 Regular floor cleaning with a wet hard floor cleaner like the Dyson WashG1™ removes more stubborn dirt than vacuuming alone. It is important to have a debris free surface, clear any clutter from the floor or other surfaces. Choose the right machine: Different vacuums are designed for different floor types and home sizes. Some machines will be engineered with hard floors in mind and will struggle on thick pile carpets, for example. Choosing the right machine for your home will make a big difference to the ease and speed with which you’re able to clean your home. Clean your floors ‘little and often’. Washing your floors frequently in areas that receive more foot fall will help to stop dirt building up and getting trodden into your floor. Using a dedicated wet floor cleaner on hard flooring such as the Dyson WashG1 is helpful for this, as the versatile format means it vacuums and washes the floor simultaneously. Cleaning schedules have also become less regimented. In recent years only 41% of people claim to have a regular cleaning schedule, and 60% admit to cleaning reactively; being motivated to clean only when there is visible dirt or dust5. It’s perhaps not surprising, that a fifth of people are still concerned their floors are dirty after they’ve mopped them (22%) and one in four6 feel extremely worried about indoor dust at home. Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert reveals why it is important to change the way we mop: “Cleaning your hard floors properly and regularly is important for maintaining a healthy environment around your home. Without a proper cleaning routine, dirt may unknowingly build up and spread around your home. It is evident from our research that current mopping habits mean British households aren’t cleaning their floors as effectively as they should. “From ignoring problem areas where dust and debris build up, cross contamination with dirty water to not replacing mop heads or inconsistent cleaning, current mopping behaviours may be making floors dirtier as opposed to cleaner. Moving away from traditional methods, wet floor cleaners like the Dyson WashG1 simplify the floor cleaning experience and provide a modern efficient and hygienic solution” To help take the guesswork out of mopping, the brand new WashG1 is Dyson’s first dedicated wet floor cleaner that tackles wet and dry debris in one go. Engineered for hygienic cleaning and maintenance, the WashG1 is revolutionising wet floor cleaning, removing the need for multi-products and multi-steps to achieve a barefoot clean feel around the home. To put the product to the test, Dyson have cleaned one of London’s most iconic landmarks The Victoria and Albert Museum. From cleaning the grand marble floors housing the most prestigious exhibits, to cleaning up leftover food in the Gamble Room Cafe, the WashG1 had a dirt busting tour of the museum leaving it spotless. Images can be found here. The WashG1 introduces Dyson’s engineering expertise to cleaning hard floors. With a 1 litre clean-water tank to cover flooring up to 290m2, the Dyson WashG1 uses a combination of hydration, absorption, and extraction technologies to remove wet and dry spills and stains simultaneously. The Dyson WashG1 is available to purchase now from Dyson.co.uk, retailing at £599.99.

Typically thought of as being an easy to clean area of the home, hard floors have risen in popularity in recent decades. Globally, hard floors are the most common floor type,2 and research released today by Dyson has uncovered poor cleaning habits that mean hard floors are likely to be harbouring an array of hidden nasties. This comes as 32% of Brits – equating to 21.6 million people in the UK – will use the same dirty mop head for six months or more before replacing it. What’s more, one in 20 also admit to keeping the same mop for a year or longer, and one in 10 think it is acceptable to use the same mop 100 times, spreading dirt around their floors every time they use it. Cross contamination is a primary issue for most common and traditional mopping methods with germs and bacteria further being unknowingly spread around homes as Brits use dirty water to clean floors.3 45% only change the water to new water between rooms, whereas 41% wait even longer until it looks dirty. This could mean that floors are being washed with dirty water, adding more dirt rather than taking it away. Surprisingly, almost one in 10 (9%) even admit to not changing the dirty water at all when mopping. Over a quarter (28%) admit to mopping their floors once a fortnight or less while over half (53%) admit they don’t regularly clean behind appliances and leave dirt to build up for as long as six months at a time. image002.jpg On how to achieve a perfect barefoot clean feel after mopping, Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert offers their top tips for eliminating dirt around the home: 1. Create a cleaning schedule to stay on top of dirt build-up. In the last year, there has been a 15% global reduction in the number of people who maintain regular cleaning schedules. 47% of the British public admitted to only being motivated to clean when they spot visible dirt or dust.4 Regular floor cleaning with a wet hard floor cleaner like the Dyson WashG1™ removes more stubborn dirt than vacuuming alone. It is important to have a debris free surface, clear any clutter from the floor or other surfaces. Choose the right machine: Different vacuums are designed for different floor types and home sizes. Some machines will be engineered with hard floors in mind and will struggle on thick pile carpets, for example. Choosing the right machine for your home will make a big difference to the ease and speed with which you’re able to clean your home. Clean your floors ‘little and often’. Washing your floors frequently in areas that receive more foot fall will help to stop dirt building up and getting trodden into your floor. Using a dedicated wet floor cleaner on hard flooring such as the Dyson WashG1 is helpful for this, as the versatile format means it vacuums and washes the floor simultaneously. Cleaning schedules have also become less regimented. In recent years only 41% of people claim to have a regular cleaning schedule, and 60% admit to cleaning reactively; being motivated to clean only when there is visible dirt or dust5. It’s perhaps not surprising, that a fifth of people are still concerned their floors are dirty after they’ve mopped them (22%) and one in four6 feel extremely worried about indoor dust at home. Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert reveals why it is important to change the way we mop: “Cleaning your hard floors properly and regularly is important for maintaining a healthy environment around your home. Without a proper cleaning routine, dirt may unknowingly build up and spread around your home. It is evident from our research that current mopping habits mean British households aren’t cleaning their floors as effectively as they should. “From ignoring problem areas where dust and debris build up, cross contamination with dirty water to not replacing mop heads or inconsistent cleaning, current mopping behaviours may be making floors dirtier as opposed to cleaner. Moving away from traditional methods, wet floor cleaners like the Dyson WashG1 simplify the floor cleaning experience and provide a modern efficient and hygienic solution” To help take the guesswork out of mopping, the brand new WashG1 is Dyson’s first dedicated wet floor cleaner that tackles wet and dry debris in one go. Engineered for hygienic cleaning and maintenance, the WashG1 is revolutionising wet floor cleaning, removing the need for multi-products and multi-steps to achieve a barefoot clean feel around the home. To put the product to the test, Dyson have cleaned one of London’s most iconic landmarks The Victoria and Albert Museum. From cleaning the grand marble floors housing the most prestigious exhibits, to cleaning up leftover food in the Gamble Room Cafe, the WashG1 had a dirt busting tour of the museum leaving it spotless. Images can be found here. The WashG1 introduces Dyson’s engineering expertise to cleaning hard floors. With a 1 litre clean-water tank to cover flooring up to 290m2, the Dyson WashG1 uses a combination of hydration, absorption, and extraction technologies to remove wet and dry spills and stains simultaneously. The Dyson WashG1 is available to purchase now from Dyson.co.uk, retailing at £599.99.

Housing shortfall calls for public-private collaboration

Housing shortfall calls for public-private collaboration

Seven ways to decorate your home when renting

Seven ways to decorate your home when renting

65% of Brits are concerned about marine life

65% of Brits are concerned about marine life

Muntada Aid – Landmark 50th Mission to Take Place in Tunisia this September as Little Hearts nears 3,000 Lifesaving Operations

Muntada Aid – Landmark 50th Mission to Take Place in Tunisia this September as Little Hearts nears 3,000 Lifesaving Operations