Storywise - Thinking Through Stories

	Buy Now: £57.50 (reductions when used in training) Postage and Packing Included

Storywise is a fascinating resource that harnesses the power of familiar stories to open up a space for children’s thinking. This publication, the Storywise Starter Pack, comes in two parts. The first is a Teachers’ Guidance Book of ideas and methods for leading children into high-quality thinking and dialogue about all kinds of stories. The second is an expandable starter-pack with Two Issues, a collection of ideas and photocopiable resources for use with more than 50 good quality picture books. Also included is a Web of Intriguing Ideas that teachers can use with many other stories, poems and pictures for all ages. More Storywise Issues and Intriguing Ideas will be available in the future.

Format: A4 ring-binder (including Issue 1 and 2) Teachers' Guidance Book A4 spiral bound
Age Range: 3 an upwards
ISBN: 1-903804-00-0
Applications: English, Literacy, Citizenship, Thinking Skills, PSHE
Authors: Karin Murris is a Dutch philosopher who has worked with children of all age groups. She is also an expert in children’s literature and her work has often been featured in the European media. Joanna Haynes served as a teacher for 16 years in primary schools. She has taught English and literacy to trainee teachers and has a special interest in early years education. Joanna has been involving primary school children in philosophy for the last six years.

Storywise is a radically updated and re-written version of Dr. Karin Murris's ground-breaking project: 'Teaching Philosophy Through Picture Books'. The benefits for children of that project will remain (introduction to philosophical dialogue, improvements in thinking skills and literacy).

Review of Storywise, by Dr Sara Liptai

In the ringbinder that you will receive if you buy this book, you will find a stand-alone guide and the first installment of what promises to be a long series of specific resource materials.

The guide will give you a complete introduction, with countless examples and helpful hints, into using picture books with young children to generate philosophical discussions. If you are in any way concerned with the education of young children, but the idea of them doing philosophy sounds like a tall tale, I would urge you to buy the book. It will convince you.

But, in fact, you are buying rather more than the one book advertised. This is because within SW at least three books coexist.

One book is a guide to using picture books with young children in the context of the teaching of English, with many connections to other curriculum subject areas. Another book is a guide to creating an environment for, and with, young children for the purpose of profound philosophical discussions about the big issues, like the body and the mind, love and loss, life and death. Yet another book is a detailed guide to developing young children's thinking, listening and speaking skills through discussion and a large range of games and exercises.

The common thread between all aspects of the book is philosophical enquiry, which is facilitated group discussion in the supportive but intellectually challenging environment of the community of enquiry.

The book's cohesive force comes from the authors' evident commitment to, and delight in, the process and outcomes of such enquiries. Their obviously extensive experience not only gives the book an exceptional richness, it also enables them to show you many different ways of going about the same thing without being prescriptive.

You are introduced to the fascinating world of children's philosophising about questions of interest to them. You are given a great deal of guidance to prepare you for the unpredictable outcomes of philosophical enquiry with children, and then you are invited to throw away the crutches of the guidance, and start enjoying and building on the outcomes of the children's discussions.

If you are a teacher or a parent, keen to aid your children's intellectual and social development, you will find that you cannot wait to try out the ideas and activities on whatever children you can get your hands on.

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