National share a story month: fun things to do in the classroom

With May right around the corner, we’re happy to be celebrating National Share a Story Month! This can be a great opportunity for you to inspire students and get them excited about the art of storytelling.

“National Share A Story Month is an annual celebration that focuses on the joy and benefits of storytelling. Organised by various literary groups and libraries, the event highlights the importance of narrative as a means of entertainment, education, and cultural preservation” – [Awareness Days]

Here are our top 5 things that you can do in the classroom this month for National Share a Story Month!

Get students to write a short story of their choice

Whether it’s made up or something personal to them, get students to write a short story (no more than one A4 page long) that they can then submit as a piece of work. You can then provide feedback on the stories at a later date. The more creative, the better! Just make sure to give students a basic structure to follow – especially if you teach a younger class.

Pick 5 stories out of a hat and have these stories told to the class

Split your classroom up into 5 separate groups and have them ‘act out’ or tell the top 5 stories that you’ve picked. This is a great way to make storytelling more interactive and gets students to be creative whilst also working in teams.

Read a book together

What’s more powerful than a story told in written form? Spend time as a class taking turns to read, pausing to ask questions and predict what might happen next. Not only does this support literacy, but it also gives students the opportunity to explore emotions and connect with the story more deeply.

Practice speaking in front of the class with a ‘mini story’

There will be some students who are naturally more confident speaking in front of the class, so it’s important that you uplift and encourage all students to have the confidence to speak in front of the class. A great way to do this is by selecting a short story (2 or 3 sentences) and getting a different student each day to read it out. You can give it to that pupil in the morning or the evening before so they have time to practice at home. At the end, ensure that the whole class claps and praises them to boost their confidence and show them that they can also be a great storyteller!

Watch a movie (that has come from a book) to show different forms of storytelling

Especially for younger students, you want to try and engage them as much as possible with storytelling that is also appropriate for their age range. Choosing a story that has been adapted into a film (the shorter the better) can be a great way to do this – even better if it’s the book that you’re currently reading together! Some ideas are Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, and The Jungle Book. 

Some other ideas…

• Visit your local library: Libraries often host special storytelling sessions, workshops, and author events during this month. See what is appropriate for your class and go from there!
• Organise a storytelling event: Set up an event at your school where participants can share and listen to stories from other students or even from teachers.
• Participate in writing competitions: Engage in local or online writing contests themed around storytelling!

We hope you have an excellent storytelling month and that you like these ideas!