Cat Weatherill – Storyteller & Author » Workshops & Staff Training

Librarian & Play Staff Training

Cat — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:44:38 +0000

Cat’s training sessions are enormous fun! They are hands-on, lively affairs packed with ideas and practical advice. Cat usually concentrates on storytelling with younger children since this is what librarians and play staff do most. She shows participants how to –

Gain and hold attention
Add colour to a storytelling session with the use of puppets, toys, props and musical instruments
Remember and tell stories rather than reading from a book
Keep discipline with young children – and their accompanying adults!
Spontaneously tell stories

She can also consider practical things, like organising a story session, setting out the room, meeting and greeting etc. The sessions always include action rhymes and infant dance (trousers are recommended) and an opportunity for Q & A.

Words for the songs and rhymes are provided free of charge.

Fees: Full day (4 hours teaching time plus breaks) £350. Half day (2 hours) £200. Maximum 20 participants.

Flying Start staff training workshop evaluation comments

‘Cat is an excellent trainer; very enthusiastic’

‘The training was absolutely fantastic; full of ideas, stimulation and ideas were extremely relevant for my work’

‘Plenty of good ideas to aid a successful storytelling session’

Family Storytelling Workshops

Cat — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:37:55 +0000

Telling stories is a FREE form of entertainment available to every family. It creates an intimate from-me-to-you feeling that helps develop and strengthen family bonds.

Family stories can be personal, unique and true. They can help children find their place within the family, establish their own identity and feel special.

Storytelling exposes children to words. The amount of words a child is exposed to between birth and eight years is the main predictor of their later social, emotional and cognitive success in life.

Best of all, story telling is FUN! So why don’t people do it?!

Perhaps they lack the confidence to try. Perhaps they dislike reading and think stories can only be found in books. Perhaps they never had stories as a child and simply don’t know what they’re missing. Whatever the reason, Cat can help.

Cat’s family storytelling workshops are all about BUILDING CONFIDENCE and INSPIRING people to give storytelling a go. She looks at –

Reading stories from books
Making up magical new ones
Spinning stories from everyday objects like dolls, shoes and vegetables
Bedtime stories
Celebration stories
Family stories to treasure and pass on
Using stories to heal and soothe.

The workshops are friendly, interactive and great fun. They generally last two hours (with tea & chat in the middle!) They are primarily aimed at mums, dads and carers with children aged 2 – 7.

Fee: £200 including travel. If this is genuinely beyond your budget, please contact Cat anyway. She is always happy to talk!

Storytelling Workshops

Cat — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:33:37 +0000

Cat also offers workshops in various aspects of storytelling by special arrangement.

Please contact her to discuss your plans and ideas.