Well, I don't know what you've been up to today but I’ve been dressing up as a mermaid. Well, it is a Wednesday after all.
No two days are the same for me, I’m a very lucky princess. Last week, I had the pleasure to meet some wonderful children at Five Lanes Primary School, and today I made them a little video to follow up on that session.
Their subject this term is pirates. I believe there is no better way to get their vivid imaginations flowing than a surprise visit from a mermaid who happens to be very scared of pirates. Surely, it’s going to help them remember and learn.
The Hook
This kind of storytelling and learning session in schools is typically called a 'hook' and no, not the captain variety.
What better way to spark a child's interest in a subject than something a little theatrical and special
These sessions are so much fun and extremely popular with teachers and more importantly the children. We tap into the children’s preferred learning style, the way children’s TV has been doing for decades but in the classroom. If you’re interested there are four main types of learning styles – they are Spatial/Visual learning, Tactile/Kinetic learning, Auditory learning, and Logical learning.
There isn’t a right and wrong style that is better but I know children lighten up, listen and get involved when I turn up, dress up entertain and educate in character.
It doesn’t matter what the subject matter is – I sing songs, tell stories and I interact as appropriate characters like Ocarina the Mermaid, or the moon, or even Zuma the Aztec who has been sent to collect children for human sacrifice! I know that one is so dark! But, don't worry it's just pure fun and usually (and weirdly) the children are clamouring to be taken back to Tenochtitlan.
World book week
I love engaging my young audiences though humour and my most popular character for World Book Day in March or Children's book week in October is Paige Turner and her ridiculous, rambunctious show The Secret life of books.
I wanted to design a show that unashamedly said ‘Go on, read more books!' I wanted to talk about books in such a silly way that if a child by the age of 9 decided that books weren't for them, they might consider giving them a second chance and so far it's been very successful.
If you have a subject or topic at school that you want brought to life to engage your pupils give me a call or drop me an email – I’d love to add some sparkle to your classroom.
