Designed to build the language and confidence children need before writing begins.
KS1 Story Builders is a 60-minute, teacher-led literacy workshop designed for Year 1 and Year 2 pupils.
Children explore a familiar high-quality text through immersive storytelling experiences that develop vocabulary, sequencing and oral storytelling skills.
Through purposeful play, talk and guided storytelling, children build the language and confidence needed to understand stories deeply before moving into writing.

Each class takes part in a carefully structured session designed to develop talk before writing:
• Interactive story introduction and immersion
• Story Path sequencing to explore story structure
• Story Builders immersive storytelling activities
• Character Word Builders vocabulary exploration
• Whole-class reflection and oral retelling
Sessions are carefully paced to allow children to explore language through talk, movement and shared storytelling.
Workshops can be tailored around a familiar class text or current curriculum theme.

The workshop focuses on developing the core language skills children need to access writing, including:
• Secure understanding of beginning, middle and end
• Increased vocabulary depth and expressive language
• Improved confidence in speaking and sharing ideas
• Stronger oral rehearsal before writing
• Engagement with high-quality children’s books
This workshop prepares children for future writing by strengthening the language foundations first.

Impact On Learning:
By strengthening oral language first, pupils are better able to:

• organise their ideas

• express themselves clearly

• engage with writing tasks more confidently

The workshop supports the KS1 English National Curriculum through:
• Spoken language and discussion
• Listening and responding to stories
• Narrative sequencing and understanding structure
• Vocabulary development and descriptive language
• Preparing ideas orally before writing

A cost-effective way to support multiple classes with a clear focus on language, confidence and writing readiness.
• Length: 60 minutes
• Whole-class delivery
• Suitable for Year 1 and Year 2
• Delivered alongside the class teacher
• Minimal preparation required from school staff
• Space needed: classroom or hall area for storytelling activities
Pricing:
• Half Day (up to 3 classes): £220
• Full Day (up to 5 classes): £350
(Travel included within an agreed local radius)
Please get in touch to discuss availability or to plan a day tailored to your school.

This workshop is particularly effective for pupils who:

• find it difficult to generate ideas for writing

• struggle to speak in full sentences

• have limited vocabulary

• lack confidence in sharing ideas aloud

• need support with sequencing and storytelling

• Supports talk before writing
• Purposeful, structured storytelling experiences
• Clear links to the KS1 English curriculum
• Inclusive and accessible for all learners
• Addresses gaps in language and confidence seen in KS1 classrooms
• Minimal preparation required from staff
• Designed and delivered by a trained primary teacher
• Structured, curriculum-aware approach
• Focused on sustainable language development

Delivered by Vanessa Rathmill — trained primary teacher and founder of Read, Play, Create.
Sessions are designed to be calm, structured and inclusive, supporting all learners through high-quality talk, purposeful play and immersive storytelling.