What can teachers learn from the stories children tell? The nurturing, evaluation and interpretation of storytelling by children with language and learning difficulties

Stories and storytelling have an influence far beyond their use in literacy lessons. Whilst they are indeed powerful tools in the development of language they are also crucial to the emotional development of children and to the formation of their social and ethical identities. In this approach most of the storytelling contexts start with a story, usually a picture-book tale. Ideas are then explored and developed through a range of playful and creative activities, and they all end with a story – this time the children’s own.