As part of the Love Reading programme in our Doncaster Hub we were able to host our second event at The Point (Doncaster Community Arts). Over 150 pupils from five primary schools were able to enjoy the event.
Doncaster Stories Hub campaigns to raise literacy levels across the town to help children to achieve their full potential in life. Our Love Reading events inspire pupils to see literacy in a new way; it can be a fun hobby rather than just something you do in school time. The events include trips to libraries and community centres where they take part in engaging activities ranging from storytelling creative writing.
Pupils from Plover, Sandringham, Park, Saint Francis Xavier and Intake Primary schools all came along to the event at The Point. Throughout the day they took part in some fun filled activities in which they learnt how to create a collaborative story as part of a group based on the ‘Wow Said the Owl’ exhibition.
The pupils first took time to read part of the Wow Said the Owl book by Tim Hopgood as well as a few other books all based on the owl theme. These stories were used as inspiration to create mind-maps, story boards and illustrations for their own short stories. These activities helped build on the children’s vocabulary and taught them about story structure. Some of the children went a step further and even began writing their own introductions.
The pupils, with their mind-maps, storyboards, illustrations and introductions, will finish completing their stories back at school. They will then be sent to us to be compiled into a printed book that will be sent out to the schools who came along to the event. A copy of the short stories will also be added to the permanent display at The Point.
Over the course of the academic year, our Love Reading events will open the world of literacy, and the wonders it holds, to hundreds of primary school children from 46 local schools.
"I learnt that to write suspense into a story, you can use short sentences to make it more exciting."
Y5 girl, Sandringham Primary
"We learnt how to gather words and vocabulary for our story about Phoenix the owl."
Y3 girl, Saint Francis Xavier School
"I learnt some new vocabulary – like another word for claws is ‘talons’!"
Y5 girl, Park Primary School