Literacy Hour

A creative approach

The DfEE recently agreed that interactive storytelling is an ideal literacy hour activity. Wizard Stories' brand of storytelling fulfils all the criteria for successful literacy study in accordance with the National Literacy Strategy.

The Literacy Hour is designed to provide a practical structure of time and class management, which reflects the structure of teaching objectives in the National Literacy Strategy Framework. While the Framework provides details of what should be taught, the Literacy Hour is the means of teaching it. The Literacy Hour should be implemented throughout the school to provide a daily period of dedicated literacy teaching time for all pupils.

A clearer focus on literacy instruction

The Literacy Hour is intended to promote 'literacy instruction' but this is not a recipe for returning to some crude or simple form of 'transmission' teaching. The most successful teaching is:

discursive - characterised by high quality oral work;

interactive - pupils' contributions are encouraged, expected, and extended;

well-paced - there is a sense of urgency, driven by the need to make progress and succeed;

confident - facilitator have a clear understanding of the objectives;

ambitious - there is optimism about and high expectations of success.

Throughout our storytelling and drama activities pupils are encouraged to participate orally. The very nature of all our work is highly interactive. Each narrative or drama activity provides a sense of urgency as a conclusion to the story or exercise approaches.

We work carefully with each school to ensure any particular topics, themes or school issues are covered, explored or respected. Wizard Stories has high expectations of every performance and work constantly to improve its services so that each child, student, teacher, carer, office worker, librarian or public audience has a resonant, memorable and successful experience.