School Visits
I enjoy visiting schools, elementary through high school, and also am delighted to present at Young Writers’ Days in schools, regional centers, and colleges. Here are some of the programs available across the U.S. and abroad.
Assemblies
Lively storytelling performances, of about 45 minutes in length, are geared to the audience age. A repertoire of over 300 stories allows me to choose tales of interest for various groups from K - 12. A full day usually includes four programs, with audiences grouped by grade levels. Several popular assembly programs are described below; other themes may be available upon request: tales of peace, stories from American history, women’s stories, and more.
A Storyteller’s Sampler
This multicultural program often starts with a family story, followed by a folk tale (perhaps an Asian one told with a traditional prop), then a participatory story with song or sign language. The program usually ends with an original tale woven magically out of a piece of paper and, whenever possible, a good old ghost story. Programs for older students include more true stories, tales from history about young heroes, and problem tales to challenge listeners.
Journey to Asia
Asian tricksters, ghosts, heroes, and more come alive as I share tales collected during my travels in Asia. Various objects from Asia, including unique traditional props, help students to explore a region rich in story. (Programs can also focus on only Japan, Korea, India, or Southeast Asia.)
Writing and Telling
Students experience the power of words as I tell original tales, talk about finding stories, and explore the wealth of family material everyone has. I also share personal anecdotes about the editing process and the journey from oral tale to book form. Traditional folk material and Asian storytelling props — story scrolls, storytelling cards, story cloths — are presented to inspire young writers and illustrators and to offer further possibilities for their work.
Young Writers’ Days
On these exciting days, I often present large group sessions, offering the kinds of ideas and comments mentioned above under Writing and Telling. I can also lead small group sessions: interacting with students, answering questions, offering further writing and telling ideas. Since my books are usually for sale, a book signing time is set up as well.
Residencies
I can sometimes work in a school for up to a week, as a resident artist, doing:
- large group assemblies
- single class workshops (see Workshops)
- staff and/or parent workshops in storytelling and writing
- family or community evening program to reach out to the community.
For further information, please contact Cathy or Diane. To plan a program, please visit Making Plans.
