STORYSACK TRAINING  - if you would like to join our wonderful storysack library please come along to one of our training sessions on Tuesday 3rd November - click here for further information.

Story Sacks

What is a Story Sack?

A story sack is a large cloth bag containing a good quality young child's picture book with supporting materials to stimulate reading activities. To bring the book to life, soft toys of the main characters, props relating to items in the story, a non-fiction book relating to the fiction theme, an audio tape and a language game based on the book are included.

Additionally a card of ideas is inserted suggesting to parents ways they may develop listening, pre-reading and pre-writing skills using the contents of the story sack.

The 'sacks' are made by parents themselves and are lent out on a library basis to parents of nursery children to use at home.

An initial workshop is offered to new parents joining the library to familiarise themselves with its aims and give them the opportunity to handle the materials with ease.

The aim of a story sack is to give a parent the confidence to enjoy books and reading together with their child, thus becoming a combined learning experience. Not every parent finds it easy to read stories but, with the supporting materials a story sack offers, all parents can successfully share books with their child at a variety of levels.

Story sacks are very special because they are made by parents for parents and their children. They are hand made so they have a unique quality and represent hours of work. No two sacks will be the same and many parent makers will discover talents and skills they did not know they possessed!

Criteria for a Story Sack Picture Book

• A strong story line
• Quality illustrations
• Easy to read aloud
• Appropriate content and interest level
• Children's favourites

What does a Story Sack contain?

• A cloth string-pull bag
• A young child's fiction picture book
• A non-fiction book relating to a theme in the picture book
• Soft toy main characters
• Props relating to objects found in the story
• A parent guide with suggested ideas for parent/child interactive reading
• An audio-tape of the story
• A language game based on the story