1. Story sacks

2. What is a story sack? • a large cloth bag containing a children's book with supporting materials to stimulate reading activities and make shared reading a memorable and enjoyable experience.

3. What might a story sack contain? • soft toys of the book's main characters, • props and scenery that parents and other adults can use with children to bring a book to life • a non-fiction book on the same theme • an audio-tape of the story • a language-based game • a short guide containing questions to ask about the story

4. Some examples ... ‘Owl Babies’ by M. Waddell

5. Some examples ... ‘The Little Red Hen’

6. Relevant links • So, you want to tell a story?A partnership between First Steps and Storysack creator Neil Griffiths has developed a new approach to storytelling (September 2004) • Public libraries: Some libraries stock a selection of story bags • Imitation, innovation and imitation: using storytelling to help children understand narrative language and then use it in their own writing