Managing a story sack library
Introduction
Information for early years staff who wish to set up a story sack library. Story sacks aim to allow adults to share books with children in a fun, meaningful way and include many practical activities. Class teacher Cath Webster has been successfully developing and managing a story sack library for the past 5 years. In this interview she shares her experience of creating, setting up and managing a story sack library.
- Why did you get involved in this project?
- How did you decide which books to include in your library?
- What should I put in my story sack?
- Who is involved in the setting up and running of your project?
- How did you make sure the volunteers knew what to make?
- How often do you create new story sacks and are they expensive?
- How many story sacks did you make before opening your library?
- How do you check sacks in and out?
- What information do you give to parents?
- How did you launch story sacks in your school?
- What benefits have you seen as a result of your project?
- Where can I look for more information?
Why did you get involved in this project?
I started to get interested in the project after attending an early literacy course. Another school was explaining how they used story sacks and it seemed like such a brilliant idea. It also appealed because some early intervention programmes can be more formal and this, used alongside other methods, helps provides a balance. I thought that story sacks would motivate and inspire children, especially those who have additional support needs.
Another reason I became interested in the project was the way in which parents could become involved in their child's reading. I think that spending time sharing books is one of the most valuable things a parent can do to help their child. Stories sacks provide an opportunity to spend quality time together for parents and children.
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How did you decide which books to include in your library?
I chose books selected from a list provided by Neil Griffiths. A local school also provided a list of books which they had used. We really wanted to have as wide a selection as possible to ensure that there would be books which would appeal to girls and boys. The books we used were bought especially for the project and were partly funded by the parent teacher association (PTA).
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What do you put in your story sacks?
Everything in the sack is centred on a fiction book. We followed Neil Griffiths suggestions of a fiction book, related non-fiction book, toy 'characters', props, scenery, audio tapes, games prompts and extension activities. A list of the sack's contents is also sewn inside.
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Who is involved in the setting up and running of your project?
I sent a letter home with each child asking for volunteers, and had about 25 responses from parents, grandparents and members of the community. This group was divided into three smaller groups and each group worked on one story sack.
The volunteers were shown roughly what was expected in each bag and went off to discuss ideas. I went through their ideas with them and we selected the best of these. The volunteers took turns to meet regularly in their own time to show each other what they had been working on. They found this a bonding experience and many made new friends.
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How did you make sure the volunteers knew what to make?
I find that the volunteers have many ideas for the toys, props and scenery and they feel that they can do this successfully. They do ask for more support and guidance when creating the language games and the parents prompt cards as they 'don't want to get it wrong'!
One solution to this problem is to provide a folder of examples which can be adapted for the sack they are working on. For example, in the parent prompt folder I include examples of types of activities such as comprehension questions, word games and questions about illustrations. The volunteers develop a draft of their prompt card based on these activities and share this with me so that I can suggest any changes.
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How often do you create new story sacks and are they expensive?
We don't set a time limit for each sack. We meet monthly and discuss how each sack is coming along. When the project started I sent a letter home to parents which asked for donations of material, wool, toys and so on.
In the beginning we found that we didn't have to buy very much at all and saved money as almost everything in the sacks was home made. Pulling on the volunteers' skills makes sure we have really high quality bags. The volunteers are incredibly proud of what they have made which is an added bonus.
We also approach local businesses to 'sponsor' a story sack. We ask for a donation, of around 10 pounds, which is used to pay for materials. In return we write on the contents list 'Sponsored by...' This is a great way of raising the awareness of the project within the community. The sponsors are always delighted when we show them the finished product.
After each 5 or 10 sacks are finished, we celebrate by having a 'get together'. I believe the team that plays together stays together and that meeting socially has meant many of the volunteers have remained involved in the project longer that I might have expected.
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How many story sacks did you make before opening your library?
We waited until we had made 20 sacks before opening the library. Some schools prefer to make more but we thought this was a good amount as we only give children a sack once every three weeks on a rota basis. We decided upon this frequency because there is too much in our story sacks for it to be a weekly activity. We don't want the sacks to lose their appeal!
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How do you check sacks in and out?
We have two Primary 1 classes who receive the story sacks. Each class is divided into three groups, A, B and C. The first week the children in group A from both classes receive a story sack, group B the next week and so on.
We issue the sacks on Fridays and ask that they are returned by the following Friday morning, though they can be returned anytime during the week. The day before a sack is issued the child is given a laminated card which tells parents to expect a sack the following day.
We take photographs of the contents of each sack and put these in a folder for children to browse through. We painted the cover of each book on to small wooden squares which are used as library tickets.
Each child is given a tag with their name on it. When children have selected a sack, they place their name tag onto the appropriate ticket. The volunteer ties the name tags to the chosen sacks and hangs them up, ready for collection.
We have a special area for sacks awaiting collection and another for returns. This is useful when checking the contents of sacks, so we know which are ready to have their contents checked. Once returned the sacks are checked to make sure they are complete. If there are any missing items we send a note home to let the parents know. Most missing items are found!
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What information do you give to parents?
We hold parent information sessions at the start of each year, one at the end of the school day and one in the early evening. The contents of the sacks are put on display and I demonstrate how to get the best out of the story sack.
These meetings are a great opportunity to show parents where the collection and return points are. We stress to parents that if they cannot pick up their child's story sack on the day it is issued they can come in any time during the following week for it, as long as they return it on the specified day.
Parents are also told that, as the sacks are heavy, children must collect them. We reassure parents that if their child attends the after school club they will still receive a sack. Our after school club is happy to collect the sacks and store them for parents to collect. (We put these sacks into bin bags for a bit of extra protection!)
We explain to parents that before the sack is used at home they should check the contents list to ensure that nothing is missing. It is also important to do this before returning the bag to school. Parents are asked to donate £1 to the library when their child joins. This covers the cost of any losses or breakages.
During the parents' meeting we also explain the feedback form. This form gives parents a chance to let us know if anything is missing and also for them and their child to say what they thought of the story sack.
Parents are also reassured that they should not expect their child to be able read the book independently, it is to be shared or read to the child.
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How did you launch story sacks in your school?
The children made posters to advertise story sacks throughout the school. A special launch day was organised. We invited our volunteers to attend a workshop with Julie Lacome, who had illustrated one of the books in our story sack library.
All of the completed sacks were displayed in the school hall. The children attended and gave each of the volunteers a flower to say thank you. We made a cake in the shape of Kipper as this was the first sack we had made.
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What benefits have you seen as a result of your project?
I have found that story sacks foster enjoyment and enthusiasm for books. I think they reinforce language skills and have helped to raise standards in listening and talking, as well as reading.
Early years teachers often use the sack as a classroom resource. They are great to share at story time or use as part of a project. For example I used the Three Little Pigs sack when looking at the strength of materials as part of a Level A Environmental Studies lesson.
All those involved in the project found it valuable. It provided the volunteers with a real sense of achievement.
Using story sacks has provided opportunities for parents to share books with their children in an enjoyable and meaningful way.
It is hard work but is definitely worth the effort! Don't try to do it all by yourself, you will need help so try to get some good volunteers.
E-mail Cath Webster.
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Where can I look for more information?
It should be noted that the inclusion of these web links does not in any way represent endorsement by Learning and Teaching Scotland. We are not responsible for the content of these external websites or for any subsequent links.
- This site contains practical advice for practitioners who wish to make their first story sack or would like a little inspiration. This page contains links to information about how to make items for your story sack as well as a pattern which shows how the sack itself can be made.
- This article provides structured advice on how to use story sacks with parents and children. It also provides examples of letters which have been used to provide information to parents.
- This is an example of how the John of Gaunt First School has used its website to recruit volunteers to help get involved in its Story Sack project.
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