About StorySharing™
The theory of Storysharing™
The development of Storysharing™
Exemplar case study
How can I learn more about Storysharing™
References
Storysharing ™is based on a particular theory about the way in which narrative develops in childhood. The basic principles are that:
• Stories are created around unexpected – or at least, non-routine –
events
• Emotion and feeling lie at the heart of the story
• We learn to tell stories by participating in the act of storymaking and
storytelling
• We tell stories collaboratively with others – and at first, adults
“scaffold” storytelling with children, by accepting and extending their
contributions.
• Personal stories are repeated over and over again – we actively craft
these little tales and roll them out at every social opportunity. This gives
plenty of opportunity for practice.
This is a social approach, and is very different to that which is often
taught in schools – storytelling in schools tends to be based around the
written word, fictional stories, and aims at a monologue or completely
independent telling by the child. For children with severe and profound
disabilities this is just too high a mountain to scale.
In Storysharing™, we look for what the child can put into the story and we scaffold the story with the child. We use a multisensory approach, with props, music, and basic communication aids.