Slide background

STORY Talk

"After only a few ‘Story Talk’ sessions, the interactive bookmarks are clearly
helping to both encourage and develop book talk in the classroom".
Jodie Jay, Head of Foundation, Coed-y-lan Primary School, S. Wales".
Slide backgroundA SPECtacular structure for talking about books,
exploring the meaning.
SEE PRICING PLANS

Early Years– Language skills and Reading for Meaning

The Story Talk resources are being updated so are currently unavailable.

SPECtacular STORY Talk® develops vocabulary, language and early comprehension skills. The playful interactive structure and resources help young children to ‘talk’ about books and explore the pages for meaning. Designed for teachers (cross-curricular resources) and families (workshop and interactive resources).

About Story Talk

The programme is designed for ages 3 – 6 yrs and for home and school use.  A set of 4 durable interactive bookmarks provide very young children with a playful structure for talking about books and exploring the pages for meaning and enjoyment. The bookmarks are designed for use with both teachers and parents. Each SPEC bookmark has prompts and interactive features that gently introduce children to memorable reading and life-long learning skills that help them to:

Summarise – Retell the main points of the story

Predict – Guess what may happen next

Enquire – Ask and answer questions about the characters and what is happening

Clarify – Make sense of unknown words, images and ideas

Parents receive a picture book with their Bookmark Kit together with a series of workshops to help them to encourage their children to look, think, feel and search for meaning and ask their own questions.

The Story Talk bookmark kit

Programme resources

The ‘SPECtacular Story Talk’ interactive Bookmark Kit for use in the classroom and at home includes:

  • 4 interactive book marks and sleeve
  • Step-by-step instructions for use.
  • Smiley Face Chart – for Spectacular Story talk moments.

The ‘Story Talk’ Book Kit can be used to explore any choice of book – fiction or non-fiction.

The full colour ‘Story Talk’ picture book retells the story of ‘Hansel and Gretel’ by award-winning children’s authors Mal Peet, Elspeth Graham and illustrator Vivien Martineau.

THE ‘FAMILY STORY TALK’ PROGRAMME includes:

  • ‘SPECtacular Story Talk’ interactive Bookmark Kit.
  • A quality picture book for each family.
  • A ‘Story talk’ parent workshop power-point presentation with session plans and trainer guidance

‘Story Talk’ Family programme is delivered in school to parents/carers of children aged 3 – 6 yrs.

Introductory ‘Story Talk’ Inset for Foundation school staff (school and family home use) – see Training Consultancy

FOUNDATION ‘STORY TALK’ PROGRAMME (Reception, Year 1) – downloadable classroom resources include : 

  • Story Talk interactive Bookmark Kit per child + top quality picture books.
  • Reading comprehension lesson plans, activities and posters – introduction to SPEC comprehension skills.
  • Animated whiteboard slides to support story talk and use of Bookmark Kit.
  • Cross-curricular lesson plans, activities and posters – using the Bookmark Kit to support ‘understanding’.
  • Story Talk Teacher Guidance.

Introductory Inset for Foundation school staff (school and family home use) – see Training Consultancy 

BOOK A VISIT FROM THINK2READ
VIEW PRICING

LOOK for information
THINK about the clues
FEEL the emotions

LOOK for information
on the page
THINK about the
author's clues
FEEL the character's
emotions

Even after only a few ‘Story Talk’ sessions, it is clear that the interactive bookmarks are helping to both encourage and develop book talk in the classroom.

Jodie JayHead of Foundation, Coed-y-lan Primary school, South Wales.

94.6 per cent thought their child was beginning to ask more questions when reading a book and the same number reckoned their child was more interested in books’. Results of parents questionnaire about impact of Think2Read’s ‘Story Talk’ pilot in Wales.

Teaching Times Oct. 2013

‘There is a need for a programme like ‘Story Talk’ to develop parent’s skills and confidence to help their children’s reading for meaning and enjoyment of books at home.’

Nichola ThorpeExec. Head teacher of Worsbrough Bank End & Hunningley Primary schools

‘SPECtacular Story Talk’ also offers families who might otherwise never consider the benefits of sharing stories and story talk together, a structure for doing so that is really supportive and fun.

Andrea MedwayYoung People’s Services Librarian, Torquay Library, Devon

For us, a major attraction of Think2Read’s Story Talk programme, which is designed specifically for children aged three to six, is that it involves parents in improving their children’s literacy skills.

Nichola ThorpeExec. Head of Worsbrough Bank End Primary & Hunningley Primary, Barnsley

Related research and articles

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Can we help you with Training?

TRAINING OPTIONS

Questions & Answers

The ‘Story Talk’ interactive Bookmark Kit will be available to buy from January 2014. The school Foundation and Family workshop programme and resources will be available from April, 2014.

The ‘Story Talk’ programme offers ‘Story Talk’ interactive book mark resources and a series of workshops for families of children aged 3 – 6 years old. These workshops are designed to be delivered either by teachers in school or by local library services. The purpose of the programme is to introduce families to the strategies for making meaning and to show parents and carers how to use the ‘Story Talk’ book marks to explore books for pleasure with their children at home.

Yes, parents are able to buy the ‘Story Talk’ Bookmark Kit from Think2Read as a stand-alone product with instructions for use – see question below for how to buy the Bookmark Kit online from Think2Read.

a) You can make your order by phone (Tel: 01803 782440)

b) By purchase order (click on ‘Order Now’ button at the top of this page).

You will be sent an invoice for your purchase and postage. Delivery will be made on receipt of payment.

Yes, please click on ‘Story Talk’ training for further details.

No, you will be in breach of copyright if the ‘Story Talk’ programme and resources you have purchased are copied in any way or used to train other schools and families without permission from Think2Read.

We will be happy to replace mislaid or damaged bookmarks at a nominal price if single Bookmarks are in stock. Call us on 01803 782440

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