How puppet making can play a crucial role in developing a child's dexterity!
A professor of surgery, Professor Kneebone, (Yes really) has told the BBC he has seen a decline in manual dexterity in his students which has led to them becoming "less competent and less confident" in using their hands. He's put this down to the use of technology as well as less creative subjects being taught in schools.
However, better dexterity is not only a crucial skill for surgeons but it's also needed for everyday things in life, whether its sewing on a button or even tying your shoelaces, our fine motor skills are necessary, and it's vital that children from a young age are given the opportunity to develop them.
So how can you help young children to develop their fine motor skills?
Puppet making is an ideal activity for this because it has all the elements from teaching children how to use a scissors through to holding pens or pencils as well as basic sewing skills.
It's also great for boosting their imaginations and creativity because they learn how to use different materials and media.
Another benefit is that they learn to work together collaboratively so they learn team building skills which again will be a crucial skill they will need as they go through life.
Puppet making also helps them to develop their speaking and listening skills as well as increasing their vocabulary.
Put puppet making together with stories and you really do have a winning combination that's versatile, fun and engaging for children of all ages – and the adults enjoy it too!!
So to find out more about puppet making and creative storytelling and how you can help the future generations feel free to get in touch.
You are busy planning next term's topic and you really want to kick off with a 'WOW' moment something to really get the children inspired. The light bulb goes on, you have the brilliant idea of having a visitor into school. Oh but then you realise you don't have the budget.
We are delighted to announce that we are finalists in this year's Educational Resource Awards SEN Resource category for our Pojo and the Chest of Dreams Create and Show Kit.
To us this kit is already a winner as it helped Jill Stevens, Literacy Co-ordinator at Collingbourne Primary School double the number of entries to our writing competition.
The winner will be announced at a gala dinner on 17th March at the National Motorcycle Museum. So Pojo had better dust off his bow tie again.
This month's Teach Primary includes an article about Teaching Through Stories and how stories can be used right across the curriculum. By looking at the when, where, what and how of stories and linking these to the curriculum.
The article is written by our very own Natasha Dennis and Tonya Meers.
Last week we had the pleasure of being asked to kick off Book Week at Harnham Infant School in Salisbury.
The children of the school had met Pojo previously because they had used Pojo Blows the Gunpowder Plot last November to tell the story of Guy Fawkes.
This time we told the story of Pojo Saves the Rainforest and then spent the day going into the classes to talk to them about how to put their stories together using our 7 steps to story writing.
We also gave them the challenge of writing a story with the characters from Pojo Saves the Rainforest and by the end of the day some of them had already come up with some wonderful tales of Pojo being a superdog and saving the world or meeting penguins. It's always great to see where children's imaginations go to when you let them.
We finished the day with a book signing and lots of the children bought other Pojo adventures. So he's definitely proving a real hit in Salisbury!
This month's Primary Teacher Update includes an article by award winning education journalist Sal Mckeown about how teachers are using our creative storytelling kits to link literacy with other subject areas across the KS1 and KS2 curriculums. You can read Sal's article on how Nicola Richardson from Lemington Riverside Primary School in Newcastle has used Pojo and the Knights of Chepstow Castle to raise writing standards and even teach French. The article also includes some of Top 10 tips of storytelling in the classroom.