Storytelling In Your Area - Scotland: 2012 - 2016

Between 2012-2016 we organised the following multi-sensory storytelling sessions:

St Oswald's RC Secondary School, Glasgow. 28/11/16

Our storyteller ran a multi-sensory storytelling session involving a total of eight children with severe autism spectrum disorder. Unfortunately, the feedback from teachers was lost in the post.

Merkland School, Glasgow. 23/11/16

Our storyteller ran four multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 31 children with severe autism spectrum disorder. Unfortunately, the feedback from teachers was lost in the post.

Howford School, Glasgow. 16/11/16

Our storyteller ran seven multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 44 children with severe autism spectrum disorder. Unfortunately, the feedback from teachers was lost in the post.

Cardinal Winning Secondary School, Glasgow. 14/11/16

Our storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 25 children with severe autism spectrum disorder. Unfortunately, the feedback from teachers was lost in the post.

Prospect Bank School, Edinburgh. 10/11/16

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 51 children with severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all 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:

• "Wonderful engagement with children right from the start. All children engaged extemely well and thoroughly enjoyed. Perfectly pitched for our needs."
• "Children loved hairdressers story. They really liked having a turn of each thing especially trying on the wig and looking in the mirror."
• "All of the children enjoyed the experience. Five often do not engage with activities in school but they engaged with this. Some interacted very well. I will try to recreate this!"
• "They engaged with most of the prompts and were listening to the story some of time. The story wasn’t right level of simplicity for them. [It needed] slower delivery. [The Storyteller] didn’t get a chance to meet the group beforehand so it was hard for her to pitch. Not as expected."
• "Loved the interactive resourses, lots to feel and smell and not just see. Repetition of the story really helped. Loved it! All enjoyed more than usual story - need to make mine better. It was the children that never sit that benefitted most. Motivated by storyline. [The Storyteller] was colourful and exciting and I'm sure this helped as well as the props."

Glencryan School, Glasgow. 29/09/16

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 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:

• "All of the children were very involved in the story. They all enjoyed playing/touching/smelling the boards. All children interacted as I expected. One of my children was off and I would have liked to have seen his level of participation and he can be very reserved. [In the longer term] I think it might encourage them to be less reserved."
• "The children were very engaged - actively listening and joining in with the stories. The sessions were excellent. All the children interacted better than expected: laughing, very animated, talking to each other about the stories. A couple of pupils who were sensitive to smells were willing to try the smelling activities. Very good turn taking. [In the longer term this will help the pupils to] enjoy other sensory stories in school and be more willing to try other sensory activities, e.g. messy play. Also smelling and tasting during social play and topic work."
• "Good sensory experience. Children participated well."

Kingspark School, Dundee. 26/05/16

Our storyteller ran seven multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 38 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 38 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, "Class 5: The children were very engaged with the story - really enjoyed the boards and one to one interactions. Class 7: Very much enjoyed the stories. They were very interactive for the class and lots of fun. An amazing experience for all children and adults. Class 4: The children reacted really well to the story, through facial expressions and calling out for more. Brilliant fun and can't wait to see the 3 other books coming in. Class 1: All children enjoyed the story. They enjoyed all the sensory experiences. Most were very well engaged. Class 6: Fab! It was short and simple and just what we needed. Clear fun boards which were accessible. Equal interactions. No-one got bored - all engaged. Class 3: Stories were short but engaging and held the interest of most of the children. Everyone got to participate and experience the different boards. Really good. Class 8: Storyteller very expressive and enthusiastic. Catered for the needs of all children very well. Very pleasurable experience for the children which was relaxed yet exciting. Thoroughly enjoyed by all. Class 2: Stories were great for the children. Storyteller very expressive and gave the children an enjoyable experience."

Bothwell Park High School, Motherwell. 04/02/16

Our storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 33 children (the entire school) with severe learning disabilities. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 33 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, "Thank you so much for selecting BWPHS for this rewarding and worthwhile session. All our pupils gained a huge amount through the experience and will continue to do with the support of the resources and packs distributed to the school."

Carrongrange School, Larbert. 15/01/16

Our storyteller ran three multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 19 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. Unfortunately, the feedback from the school was lost in the post.

St Crispin's School, Edinburgh. 17/11/15

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 31 children. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 31 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, "The storytelling sessions were great and we had lots of positive comments from staff. Our pupils are mainly non-verbal and have severe - complex learning disabilities. Some of the pupils have autism. We found that the majority of our young people responded very positively to the sensory nature of the stories. Thanks very much for a great day!"

Clippens School, Paisley. 10/11/15

Our storyteller ran three multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 20 children. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 20 children  had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, "All thoroughly enjoyed the sessions, and got a lot out of them. Some great ideas for our staff too."

Calaiswood School, Dunfermline. 17/09/15

Our storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 26 children. We received feedback from four teachers who judged that all the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Three rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and one as “4/5 – Good”. Comments were:

• "The storyteller's performance was excellent. The lady was very animative, had a great voice projection, and used the appropriate and positive approach with all the pupils. The session benefited all of the children and was correctly tailored at their needs. Thank you!"
• "Pitched perfectly for the age/abilities of pupils in class. Storyteller knew names of pupils after a brief introduction and personalised story when possible. Excellent range of noisy/tactile props. All pupils got something out of the session. Thank you very much. It was excellent."
• "The storytellers read 2 stories to our group of pupils. The text was simple and repeated lots of times which was beneficial. The stories were quite fast paced which suited 2 of the pupils especially well. The resources were robust and of good quality. They were highly visual and tactile."

Kinnaird Primary School, Larbert. 10/09/15

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 20 children (the entire school). We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 20 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “4/5 – Good”. They added, "A large variety of Bag Books were provided to suit the ability level/interest level of the different children. [The Storyteller] was very flexible working with smaller/larger groups of children and staff. She tried very hard to include children who were opting out and engage them."

Haysholm School, Irvine. 31/08/15

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 29 children. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all 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:

• "A good fun session. All pupils engaged well with the story packs and interacted with the storyteller. This was a very inclusive activity for our young people as everyone could take part despite two of our pupils having hearing difficulties. The storyteller was very skilled at including all the pupils and was sensitive to and adapted well to each pupil's ability and understanding."
• "Storyteller was excellent at engaging all pupils. Good pace [to] stories if we required them."
• "All pupils obviously enjoyed this activity. [The Storyteller] was very sensitive to the boys' individual needs and used appropriate language/vocabulary to keep their attention. She also used their names before speaking to them individually. The materials used captured the boys' attention and they enjoyed interacting with them."
• "This was a fantastic session. All pupils were actively involved and thoroughly enjoyed it (as did the staff!). There was great use of repetition and pupils were included at their own level. [The Storyteller] was energetic and enthusiastic, which the pupils responded well to."
• "[The Storyteller] interacted very well with all of the children. The children enjoyed touching and feeling the storyboards and being part of the story. Lots of good listening, sitting and length of the whole story session was perfect. One pupil did not manage to sit with the group but was still included in every aspect of the story. All very enjoyable. Please come back again."

Robin House Children's Hospice, Alexandria. 29/08/15

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of four children. The hospice staff judged that all four children had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. They added, "The children all had complex needs and most cannot verbally communicate, however it was clear from their expressions that they were enjoying the stories. One boy in particular responded so well, staff asked if he could have further stories read as he was laughing and smiling at them. Our storyteller was very responsive to the children's needs and abilities, and gave each child individual time to participate."

Riddrie Centre, Glasgow. 24/04/15, 02/06/15, 29/06/15

There were a total of 15 adult participants across the three sessions. There was one trainee who rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good" and added, "Great to see the reaction of service users, as there was a lot of interaction. Story short enough."

Carlton Day Centre, Glasgow. 24/04/15, 02/06/15, 29/06/15

There were a total of 24 adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees. Two rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good" and one as "4/5 - Good". One added, "[The Storyteller] did a brilliant job teaching us. She is very good at her job." Another commented, "[The Storyteller] was very professional in her job at teaching us."

Bainsford Day Centre, Falkirk. 01/06/15

There were a total of 16 adult participants across the two sessions. There were 20 trainees.

Drumpark School, Glasgow. 18/05/15

Our storyteller ran eight multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 65 children. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 65 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, "Wonderful day. All the children benefitted in some way from the stories."

Craigmarloch School, Port Glasgow. 08/05/15

Our storyteller ran eight multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 60 children. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 60 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, "Staff feedback was excellent. Pupils were very engaged with the stories. Delivery of the stories was adapted for different groups."

Rosslyn School, Kirkcaldy. 27/04/15

Our storyteller ran four multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 17 children. We received feedback from four teachers who judged that all 17children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All four rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

• "Session seemed to hit the target audience. The material was so generic it was suitable for all ages. Our pupils need a sensory approach to literature and this was just right for them. A big thank you to [the] storyteller. She was very good with our pupils. She gave each pupil equal attention. They responded well to her. We are interested in purchasing some of the other packs. Thank you for the packs donated to the school. Be assured we will be using them."
• "Held all children's attention - showed lots of enthusiasm. Came to the right level for each child."
• "Very positive experience for all those present. [The Storyteller] was very bubbly and friendly and responded well to all pupils. She remembered all the pupils names and used them throughout the session. The stories and props were all pitched perfectly for my pupils and [she] ensured everyone was fully included during each story. Would love to have [her] back and/or have more time to look at all the boxes she had to see which we might like to purchase for the school. Might have been good to choose from a list in advance to tie into our theme - however all stories were great and content suited to my pupil needs. Thank you!"
• "Everybody enjoyed the experience."

Capability Scotland - Wallace Court, Johnstone. 19/01/15, 09/02/15, 09/04/15

There were a total of 15 adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees who all rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• "Very good - interesting props - imaginative."
• "Pack very imaginative."
• "Found the contents of the 2 packs we received very good, and imaginative."

Beatlie School, Livingston. 26/03/15

Our storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 19 children with severe learning disabilities. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all the children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added:

• "I would like to express my gratitude to you for the contribution you made to our Expressive Arts Week. The storytelling sessions you provided for the pupils (and staff!) were terrific fun and I am sure you saw how important your contribution was when you looked at the responses and expressions of the pupils! We received great feedback from the staff, who tell me they are going to "steal" a few ideas from you! I am sure that the week will continue to be part of our school calendar and I hope we may call on your expertise at another time. [The] sessions were all very successful."
• "Lots of good responses from the children."
• "Very enthusiastic."
• "Good to get a few more ideas."
• "Really good to see how stories can be told."
• "Some good tips from the storyteller as to how to perform stories."

Tiphereth Day Centre, Edinburgh. 09/03/15, 16/03/15, 23/03/15

There were a total of 15 adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees who both rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "This training has been an absolute eye-opener. The group reacted very positively with higher levels of engagement than ever before. I had wondered if the simple structure and repetition would be too basic for our groups but this was not the case at all. There is lots of potential to add to the stories or tell them in the form of a little play - tried this and it went really well - but [the Storyteller's] telling of "Kofi and the Magic Shaker" enthralled everyone, including the person with the most complex disabilities. I feel as if I've been given a fantastic tool to improve our storytelling sessions immeasurably. Very grateful to have been given this training and information about Bag Books. Thank you."

E2 Day Centre, Edinburgh. 09/03/15, 16/03/15, 23/03/15

There were a total of 15 adult participants across the three sessions. There were four trainees who all rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "Excellent resources and lots of fun. Very friendly and easy to learn from."

Mavisbank School, Airdrie. 02/03/15

Our storyteller ran seven multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 49 children with severe learning disabilities. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all the children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, "The storyteller was very responsive to individual needs. This, combined with a very flexible approach, meant that the sessions were beneficial for all pupils. Some pupils only took part for a short time, however all benefitted in some way from the sensory props even those not able to engage with the story. We have learned that if doing these sessions again or delivering the stories ourselves, it is important to keep the groups as small as possible as waiting can be challenging for some pupils."

Anchor Centre, Paisley. 19/01/15, 09/02/15, 27/02/15

There were a total of 15 adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees who both rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". Ane added, "Great training. Our service users get so much out of it." The other commented, "These stories get some unexpected responses from some of our service users. Suddenly some seem so much responsive!"

Rosehill Day Centre, Aberdeen. 16/02/15, 23/02/15, 27/02/15

There were a total of 22 adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees. One rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good" and two as "4/5 - Good". One added, "[I need to] keep practicing."

Ellon Resource Centre, Ellon. 16/02/15, 23/02/15, 27/02/15

There were a total of 20 adult participants across the three sessions. There were five trainees. Four rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good" and one as "4/5 - Good". Comments were:

• "Good job. Well done"
• "Enjoyed it. Found everything explained and demonstrated well."
• "Will get better with continued practice."
• "Will hopefully improve with continued practice!!"

Pinewood School, Bathgate. 26/02/15

Our storyteller ran seven multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 53 children with severe learning disabilities. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all the children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, "Staff feedback was all good. Pupils really enjoyed sessions, and storyteller was good with pupils. Interactive nature of the storytelling was beneficial to our pupils, and the repetition helped pupils to recall story. A great day for all the pupils. Please keep us informed of any future sessions you have available, or booking details for next school session."

Aberdeen Central Library, Aberdeen. 26/02/15

Our storyteller ran three multi-sensory storytelling sessions to a total of 18 children with severe learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorders from Hazlewood School and the Pre-School Additional Support Needs Service at Kaimhill Developmental Nursery as part of the Aberdeen Arts Across Learning Festival 2015. The teacher from Kaimhill Developmental Nursery judged that all of the children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, "Children thoroughly enjoyed the stories, liked the idea of the repeated lines within the story. Adults also found it interesting and watching children's reactions was great. Thank you."

Tillydrone Library, Aberdeen. 25/02/15

Our storyteller ran two multi-sensory storytelling sessions to a total of 13 children with severe learning disabilities from Riverbank School and the Pre-School Additional Support Needs Service at Seaton Developmental Nursery. The teacher from Riverbank School judged that all of the children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, "The boys really enjoyed the stories. They were engaged the whole time and were keen to take part in the activities. One boy commented that the first story was "really awesome". We would like to attend any future events." The teacher from Seaton Developmental Nursery judged that all of the children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, "All the children have ASN and the stories benefited all with sensory input. Lots of humour and surprises throughout the stories to keep their interest. Thank you." The storytelling was observed by 19 people who later attended a training session as part of the Aberdeen Arts Across Learning Festival 2015. We received feedback from 19 trainees, 14 of whom rated the quality of the training as “5/5 – Very Good” and 5 as “4/5 – Good” . Comments were:

• "Have already thought of sessions and children I will use the stories for. I feel very confident about using the stories."
• "The practical opportunity allowed us to see how the books work. Very worthwhile."
• "I will try and incorporate aspects of the training in Bag Book sessions and also when sharing stories."                    
• "I learnt new things about working with people with learning disabilities - the speaker included so much of his own experience with how the books work in practice. I would have been interested in learning how the books work with regular toddler groups as well - I think that is a more likely audience for my place of work, but still I may be able to apply what I learnt directly. Hope so! I am already thinking what stories I could devise using our collections and how an event would fit into our programme. Thanks - I definitely learned something new and hope to put what I learned into practice."
• "Seeing Bag Books/props etc and getting a chance to try out. Seeing books being used with children.    Will use initially with ASD pupil in P1 who does not come and listen to stories and who is not talking."         
• "I will attempt to fit it into our drama programme."                           
• "Good to see the resources. Use with EAL pupils new to English."
• "I enjoyed the whole training. I found the tip of giving everybody a hand very useful. If I have a special need group to visit, I would definitely give it a try. The idea would be great to use for ESL children with poor language skills, the story need to be longer in that case."
• "Will adapt to use with my P2 class."                                             
• "Seeing how the boxes are used/can be used in different mix of (dis)abilities., Use in class - possibly as stimulation for a writing project."                                    
• "Theory, structure, practice. Develop stories for community and nursery aged children. Great length of workshop. Great location. Great selection of sessions in the festival."
• "All was good! Seeing the DVD useful, and exploring the Bag Books and the background in a class of PMLD children."                       
• "Apply knowledge for sensory storytelling with my class."

Woodlands School, Aberdeen. 24/02/15

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions to a total of 39 children with severe learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from eight teachers who judged that all of the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Six rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and two as “4/5 – Good” . Comments were:

• “Made predictions of story to come. Sensory props very good and varied. Held their attention. One child asked to go back again."
• "Very enjoyable, quality storytelling experience. The storyteller was excellent and kept the children engaged for the whole session. He was very good at responding to child's individual needs and the children all enjoyed the experience with lots of smiles and anticipation throughout."
• "6 children with very different sensory needs - he held their attention throughout a 45 minute session. The children did not need to be supported to engage with the storyteller - he had their total attention. The props were exciting and tactile and covered all the senses - smell, sound, vision and sound. The repetitive text was clear and his voice and intonation was easy to listen to. Staff learned a lot about storytelling."
• "As a teacher I found it interesting watching [the Storyteller] use the Bag Books. I have used them many times and found them good. However, his repetition, with each child, of the same phrase for each picture was very good and appeared to work well. This class is extremely "passive" in many ways and I would like to see that method used with children who find it more difficult to wait - would it be too long for them? Very useful session. The class appeared to enjoy it, each in their own way. Worthwhile."
• "Our class really enjoyed the activity. All children responded well to the storyteller and interacted appropriately. They were fully engaged and clearly enjoyed the stories, especially the one about the animals. One of our pupils coped extremely well when listening to a story about the haircut (he is scared of hairclippers and doesn't like getting his haircut). The overall performance was very professional and the storyteller demonstrated the knowledge and skills essential when working with children with ASN. It was a great experience for both pupils and staff."
• "Brilliant session - considering diversity of learners in the class they were all engageing to their own level and really enjoyed it. The props are so sturdy it is great for all children to engage within their own way safely. Thank you."
• ""What Am I" - liked the simplicity and pupils not overloaded at each animal. Perhaps a toy of each animal may have been good for some. "The Haircut" - perhaps more mirrors so they could see what they looked like when wearing cover. Liked the clippers. "The Lost Dog" - liked the sponge for the dog lick. A dog toy may have helped at start perhaps linked to lead."

Rachel House Children's Hospice, Kinross. 21/02/15

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of two children and a sibling. The hospice staff judged that both children had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. They added, "Children and adults enjoyed listening to the stories and the children particularly enjoyed the interaction. [We gained an] awareness of how to interact/approach children with non-verbal conditions."

St. Andrew's School, Inverurie. 20/02/15

Our storyteller ran nine multi-sensory storytelling sessions to a total of 51 children with severe learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from nine teachers who judged that all bar one of the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All nine rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” . Comments were:

• “We all loved to listen to you telling the stories today. Having a man's voice was very refreshing for us. As we are a class of all boys - this really appealed. Having sensory props also a great success. Please come back!"
• "An excellent time! All the pupils were really engaged in activities, enjoyed the stories and enjoyed the interacting. Excellent session, very well delivered, enjoyed by all."
• "Excellent, the kids loved the stories and all were really engaged. Brilliant. Thank you."
• "Storyteller introduced himself to each of the children and interacted well with them all. He engaged the children well and they were eager to see what was coming next. The children all enjoyed the session and were focused for a full 25 minutes. Brilliant."
• "So good!"
• "[The Storyteller] was excellent - pace and volume just right for our complex needs children. All children were included and interacted well to the best of their ability. Lovely experience for pupils and staff. Thank you."
• "Children with very complex needs were able to fully participate, and clearly enjoyed the session. [The Storyteller] interacted with children at the right level and the children responded well to him. Thank you for an excellent story session."
• "The stories were relevant and at great level for the children. One child left the group as he was distressed and disrupting the group. However, this was no reflection on the storyteller and on a  different day this child might have enjoyed the session. The props were imaginative, interesting and manageable. It was a great session and I would like to use the resources myself."
• "The children were very engaged with the story and all participated 100%"

Linn Moor Residential School, Aberdeen. 19/02/15

Our storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions to a total of 12 children with autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all bar one of the children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All five rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” . Comments were:

• “The session was very beneficial to the student, he took a lot from the interaction and sensory aspect of the stories. It was performed and executed very well."
• "My favourite was the dog in London. Thank you" (written by pupil).
• "The students and staff thoroughly enjoyed the storytelling session. One student stayed for four stories concentrating the whole time."
• "Great time. The kids really enjoyed it. One pupil was upset for other reasons but storyteller coped well with situation."
• "Kerloch class would very much like to have more opportunities to have Bag Book stories as the students in our class benefit from multi-sensory stories."

Fairview School, Perth. 17/02/15

Our storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions to a total of 41 children with severe learning disabilities. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all the children in their classes 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 whole activity was excellent. The time taken to tell the story and give each child a chance to process the story and the sensory boards."
• "This session was fantastic - there is a visually impaired child in my class and as she has no sight, this was ideal for her. Children very focused and engaged! Super! Has given me lots of ideas!"
• "The storyteller entertained the children really well and dealt well with challenging behaviour, knowing when to ignore or engage with children."
• "Thank you very much. All the children engaged in parts of each story. Some were fully engaged throughout. The Haircut story would be very useful in helping to de-sensitize children who have issues with going to the hairdresser. Great to have so many tactile experiences within one story."
• "Children loved it. Inspired and totally engaged with the storyteller. Children and staff sat engrossed with the narrating and the props used. Storyteller maintained the children's interest during the story.”

Linburn School, Glasgow. 12/01/15

Our storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 40 children. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 40 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, "The storyteller was in 5 different classes and each class had nothing but praise for her. From very dependant young people in wheelchairs to ambulant young people, she was able to pitch her storytelling at right level. Obviously a very experienced practitioner who sat on the floor amazing the young people. Varied tone, pitch, all pulled in the listeners. Room 3: This class pupils follow an active curriculum. Most of the pupils have some speech and have good understanding of spoken language. Although these pupils do not follow a sensory curriculum, it was very clear that the storytelling was very enjoyable for all. Pupils' responses were very positive as they listened to the story and explored props. The pupils found the story, 'The Fairground', very exciting and anticipated events relating to the ghost tunnel. The props were very stimulating to support the sudden and unexpected responses. It was good to see how the props helped further understanding. Afterwards, pupils were able to recall the story and say what they had liked/what was scary."

Parklands School, Helensburgh. 01/12/14

Our storyteller ran five sessions to a total of 22 children (the entire school). We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all the children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

• “Excellent. We would value a return visit. The pupils gained so much!!"
• "[The Storyteller] was brilliant, the pupils liked the pace/repetition and she was fabulous at not letting them interrupt! The sensory boards were enjoyed by all - even the staff!"
• "This was a really valuable experience. All of the children had a lovely time. [She] was a great storyteller - thank you!"
• "Very useful to see how to tell these stories well. I learned lots too!"
• "[The Storyteller] was great even with some senior pupils who were reluctant to engage with the stories at first.”

The Isobel Mair School, Glasgow. 28/11/14

Our storyteller ran six sessions to a total of  50 children. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 50 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “[The Storyteller] did a fantastic job, even with some of our more challenging pupils and groups. All got a lot out of the day."

Greenburn School, East Kilbride. 17/11/14

Our storyteller ran five sessions to a total of 43 children. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 43 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and added, “Fantastic storytelling. Much enjoyed by everyone.”

Oaklands School, Edinburgh. 03/11/14

Our storyteller ran four sessions to a total of  26 children. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 26 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

• “Nursery - Children really enjoyed it. The repetition was very beneficial. [The Storyteller] engaged with all the pupils and sustained their attention."
  
• "Class 1 - Super session in Class 1. The resources were excellent and all the pupils were fully engaged for the whole session. [The Storyteller] was very sensitive to each individual's needs."
  
• "Class 2 - The children really enjoyed the story. [The Storyteller] held the cildren's attention throughout the session. Her style of delivery suited the class very well, particularly the repetition of each element."
  
• "Class 3 - The children really responded to the resources, especially the sound ones. These particularly helped the visually impaired children. The repetition was very appropriate and involved each child. A wonderful session. Thank you!"
  
• "Class 4 - involved all the pupils, knew their names - even tricky autistic pupil joined in - very unusual! There were 2 stories and the pupils really enjoyed it. She asked sensible questions about pupils' likes/dislikes."

St Duthus Special School, Tain. 06/10/14

Our storyteller ran three sessions to a total of 22 children (the entire school). We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 22 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, “What a wonderful experience for our pupils. It's all the staff were talking about in the staff room after their sessions!"

Broomlea School, Glasgow. 23/09/14

Our storyteller ran three sessions to a total of 32 children as part of our 21st Birthday - National Multi-Sensory Storytelling Day.  

Croftcroighn School, Glasgow. 23/09/14

Our storyteller ran two sessions to a total of 23 children as part of our 21st Birthday - National Multi-Sensory Storytelling Day.

Sanderson High School, Glasgow. 01/09/14

Our storyteller ran two sessions to a total of eight children. We received feedback from two teachers. They judged that all the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and both rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. One added, “Excellent session for our pupils. The shared experience created by this sort of storytelling is perfect for helping them to engage.” The other commented, "Really lovely session. Please come again!"

Mary Russell School, Paisley. 22/08/14

Our storyteller ran eight sessions to a total of 55 children. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 55 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “Everyone really enjoyed the sessions - pupils and teachers. Thanks very much! Pupil letters: "Thank you so much for coming in to our school and for reading us stories. My favourite was the Fairground. We hope to see you again. Thank you again." "Thank you for coming to the school. I like your stories. My favourite story was the fun fair. Thank you again." "Thank you for entertaining all of us. The stories were funny and I enjoyed the way you told them to us. Thank you again." "I just wanted to say thank you for visiting our school to tell us stories. I hope you can come back again one day. Thank you again." "Thank you for visiting our school. We liked your stories. I liked the hair cut story the best. Thank you again." "Thank you for coming into our school and wowing us with the stories. My favourite was the Haircut because it was funny. Thank you again." "Thank you for coming to our school. We enjoyed the stories. It was amazing. Thank you."”

John Fergus School, Glenrothes. 16/06/14

Our storyteller ran four sessions to a total of 24 children. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 24 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “All our pupils have complex additional support needs, so the story packs are ideal. Our storyteller coped very well with pupils who she didn't know. Our pupils have great difficulty in engaging with books and with their general communication, so a resource like this is extremely helpful.”

Victoria Park School, Carluke. 09/06/14

Our storyteller ran eight sessions to a total of 64 children (the entire school. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 64 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “Thank you for a great day.”

Ochill Tower (Rudolf Steiner) School, Auchterarder. 02/06/14

Our storyteller ran two sessions to a total of 16 children (there are 38 pupils at the school in total). We received combined feedback on behalf of both teachers. They judged that all 16 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “Lovely sessions for all involved. Thank you!”

Langlands School, Dumfries. 19/05/14

Our storyteller ran two sessions to a total of 10 children (it's a very small school with just 12 pupils in total). We received combined feedback on behalf of both teachers. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, “Thank you for a lovely afternoon. The enthusiasm of your storyteller was so infectious. All pupils were included even though some sat in the background they still felt part of the experience. The materials were used well and in a meaningful way which the pupils could relate to.”

Drummond School, Inverness. 28/04/14

Our storyteller ran seven sessions to a total of 35 children. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 35 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “Very appropriate resources and wonderful storyteller. Thank you!.”

Carronhill School, Stonehaven. 31/03/14

Our storyteller ran five sessions to a total of 34 children. We received combined feedback on behalf of all five teachers. They judged that all 34 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “The feedback from staff has been fantastic. Sounds like all the pupils got a lot out of the sessions, and the staff have been inspired!”

James McFarlane School, Ardrossan. 28/03/14

Our storyteller ran seven sessions to a total of 26 children (the entire school). We received combined feedback on behalf of all seven teachers. They judged that all 26 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “Teachers commented on how great the resources and storytelling were. Great experience for our pupils and staff.”

Clyde View School, Motherwell. 17/03/14

Our storyteller ran four sessions to a total of 28 children (there are 38 pupils on the school roll). We received combined feedback on behalf of all four teachers. They judged that all 28 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “Excellent.”

Corseford School, Johnstone. 10/03/14

Our storyteller ran two sessions to a total of 15 children (there are 38 pupils at the school in total). We received combined feedback on behalf of both teachers. They judged that all 15 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “Both staff and children very excited after the sessions. Lovely day, and definitely something we need to do more of.”

Stanmore House Residential School, Lanark. 03/03/14

Our storyteller ran three sessions to a total of 12 children (the school is small with just 19 pupils in total). We received combined feedback on behalf of all three teachers. They judged that all 12 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “Perfect level for our children. Wonderful storyteller and superb resources.”

Southcraig School, Ayr. 28/02/14

Our storyteller ran three sessions to a total of 15 children. We received combined feedback on behalf of all three teachers. They judged that all 15 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “Really good. Has given us lots of ideas as to how we can improve our literacy sessions.”

St Clement's School, Dingwall. 24/02/14

Our storyteller ran four sessions to a total of 15 children. We received feedback from one teacher. They judged that all 15 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “Brilliant. Thank you.”

Lochgilphead School, Lochgilphead. 10/02/14

Our storyteller ran two sessions to a total of 11 children. We received feedback from one teacher. They judged that all 11 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “Very impressive storytelling. Perfect for our pupils.”

Croftcroighn School, Glasgow. 17/01/14

Our storyteller ran eight sessions to a total of 42 children. We received combined feedback on behalf of all eight teachers. They judged that all 42 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “Everybody was very impressed with [the Storyteller]. Engaged just about every pupil.”

Haysholm School, Irvine. 13/12/13

Our storyteller ran four sessions to a total of 20 children. We received combined feedback from four teachers. They judged that all 20 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All four rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. One added, “Really impressed with how long the storyteller managed to engage this group for. Not easy!”

Ochil House, Stirling. 15/11/13

Our storyteller ran three sessions to a total of 18 children. We received combined feedback from all the teachers. They judged that all 18 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, “Thanks for a fantastic day of storytelling.”

The Anna Ritchie School, Peterhead. 28/10/13

Our storyteller ran six sessions to a total of 39 children. We received combined feedback from all the teachers. They judged that all the children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, “Really impressive storyteller and great resources. Our classes all loved it.”

Willow Bank School, Kilmarnock. 11/10/13

Our storyteller ran four sessions to a total of 21 children. We received feedback from four teachers. They judged that all 21 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling.All four rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. One added, “This was a lovely session. The children definitely got a lot out of it and were fully engaged. Hope you can come back soon!”

Royal Blind School, Edinburgh. 26/06/13

Our storyteller ran four sessions to a total of 19 children. We received combined feedback from all the teachers. They judged that all 19 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, “All pupils and staff and loved it. Very beneficial for our pupils.”

Kilmaron School, Cupar. 24/06/13

Our storyteller ran two sessions to a total of 12 children. We received combined feedback from all the teachers. They judged that all the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, “Fantastic. Wish we could have had longer sessions as would have loved to have seen more stories.”

Rockfield Primary/Oban High School, Oban. 12/06/13

Our storyteller ran three sessions to a total of 19 children. We received feedback from two teachers. They judged that all 19 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Both rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. One added, “Great sessions. Very impressed with how storyteller held pupils' attention.” Another commented, “Excellent session. Storyteller got an incredible amount of vocal responses from a group that are largely non-verbal. Very impressive.”

Saltersgate School, Dalkeith. 27/05/13

Our storyteller ran five sessions to a total of 25 children. We received combined feedback from all the teachers. They judged that all 25 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, “All children were able to engage at their level. All were involved. The storyteller was very good. She was friendly and included all the children. All staff felt it was very worthwhile. We are looking forward to using the 2 story boxes we have in school! The resources were very good and helped to keep the class focused on the activities. Storyteller was very approachable and met each child's needs. Good approach to storytelling. Children really engaged in the activities and got a lot out of the session. One child in group was a bit restless but managed to stay within group and focused when it was his turn. The session was really beneficial and worthwhile. All pupils were engaged although more stories appropriate for secondary age would be great. A very friendly and enthusiastic approach from the storyteller.!”

Lochies School, Alloa. 20/05/13

Our storyteller ran six sessions to a total of 26 children with severe learning disabilities and/or autistic spectrum disorder. We received combined feedback from all the teachers. They judged that all the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, “We all very much enjoyed our visit from Bag Books! Our storyteller was fantastic, "reading" the children well, knowing how to pitch the session. All our pupils gained something positive from the experience and some pupils were able to try something new - a wig and having a "haircut". A very worthwhile day!”

James Reid School, Saltcoats. 13/05/13

Our Storyteller ran three sessions involving a total of 16 children. We received feedback from one teacher who judged that all 16 children had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. The teacher rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good" and added, "Thank you for 3 fantastic sessions. Staff were all very impressed.”

Hillside School, Cumnock. 22/04/13

The storyteller ran five sessions to a total of 21 children (there are only 33 pupils in the school). We received combined feedback on behalf of all five teachers. They judged that 21 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “Excellent. Thank you!"

Daldorch House School, Mauchline. 15/03/13

The storyteller ran three sessions to a total of 8 children. We received feedback from three teachers. They judged that all the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They all rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. One added, “This is the first time we've seen one of the boys engage with a story which was fantastic."

Pilrig Park School, Edinburgh. 13/03/13

The storyteller ran six sessions to a total of 43 children. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “Feedback from all groups was very excellent. Here are some quotes from some of our pupils: It was a bit scary; it was funny; It was amazing; It was good; It was brilliant; I didn't like the spider; It was alright; It was OK; I liked it."

Kersland School, Paisley. 01/02/13

The storyteller ran four sessions to a total of 27 children. We received feedback from four teachers. They judged that all the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All four rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. One added, “[The Storyteller] really engaged the children. Great session!" Another commented, "Perfect for our pupils!"

East Park School, Glasgow. 23/01/13

The storyteller ran six sessions to a total of 16 children (there are only 29 pupils in the school). We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers at East Park School. They judged that all the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “Wonderful storytelling! Very beneficial for our pupils.”

St Andrew's School, Inverurie. 26/11/12

Our Storyteller ran nine sessions involving a total of 61 children with severe learning disabilities. We received feedback from one teacher who judged that 100% of the children in their class had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, “Thank you for such an inspiring day. All the staff and students thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Hazlewood School, Aberdeen. 23/11/12

Our Storyteller ran five sessions involving a total of 34 children with learning disabilities. We received a combined feedback form on behalf of the teachers who judged that all of the pupils had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. The day was rated as “5/5 – Very Good” and a comment was added, “Fantastic feedback from all staff. Thank you.”

Camphill School, Aberdeen. 22/11/12

Our Storyteller ran five sessions involving a total of 20 children with severe learning disabilities. We received feedback from one teacher who judged that 100% of the children in their class had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, “All the students got a lot out of the storytelling sessions. Hope [the Storyteller] can come back!”

Westfield School, Fraserburgh. 21/11/12

Our Storyteller ran five sessions involving a total of 26 children with severe learning disabilities (this is a small school so the 26 children were the entire school). We received feedback from one teacher who judged that 100% of the children in their class had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, “Thanks for a fantastic day!

Stanecastle School, Irvine. 02/11/12

Our Storyteller ran four sessions involving a total of 32 children with severe learning disabilities. We received feedback from one teacher who judged that 100% of the children in their class had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, “Thought I would let you know how much we all enjoyed our Bag Books sessions with [the Storyteller]. She really worked hard and the sessions were a real success. We have such a wide range of needs and ages in our school and  [the Storyteller] successfully met these needs. It was such a pleasure to have  [the Storyteller] in the school and we all feel so motivated now to approach our story telling in this way. We will be using our Bag Books resources to enhance our storytelling. Thanks so much.”

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