Reading More by Making Movies
At Folktellers, we believe in the power of transmedia storytelling. People want to experience and engage with stories in different ways. If you believe this going into any story, you can create deeper experiences with purpose and by design.
We also believe that this approach encourages and promotes reading and visual literacy with young people.
The basic definition of visual literacy is the ability to read, write and create visual images. Both static and moving. It is a concept that relates to art and design but it also has much wider applications. Visual literacy is about language, communication and interaction. Visual media is a linguistic tool with which we communicate, exchange ideas and navigate our highly visual digital world.
With these thoughts in mind, we decided to put our money where our mouths were in 2020.
This year, we’ve partnered with Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) and Momentum Books, to launch our Storytelling for Literacy Program. This all-inclusive, free educator’s kit has been designed to engage students in the art of storytelling using multimedia. It may be integrated into any standard elementary or middle school curriculum. What’s great is that all the program materials are included in our Storytelling for Literacy media kit.
Beginning in May of 2020, teachers will be able to order a classroom kit that includes everything they need to participate:
· 30 books per classroom
· 30 participant awards
· 1 first-place winners award
· Red carpet runner
· Program instructions
· Access to support materials and best practices.
What’s really exciting is that this program supports the following educational disciplines:
· Reading and Literacy
· STEM
· Writing Composition
· Geography, International Studies and World Cultures
· Multimedia Communications
· Team Dynamics
· Public Speaking
· Self-Empowerment and Self-Esteem Building
The British Film Institute points out, “Recent research has shown film can be a powerful tool to help improve children’s reading and writing. It can also be used to develop a range of abilities — decoding, inference and analysis — as well as expanding creativity and improving vocabulary.”
The ultimate goal is to promote visual literacy — the ability to read, write and create visual images, both static and moving. As students read from the Guidebook Series, either individually or as a group, students will create their own video stories using characters and themes for the books.
The capstone project for this program is a storytelling movie contest. Students will use themes from the Guidebook Series, working with teams or as individuals, to produce their own, movie trailer (usually no more than 2–3 minutes in length).
Final video trailers may be voted on within the classroom or school with FOLKIE Awards given out to all participants and using materials from the Storytelling for Literacy media kit.
Participants may also submit their video entries to the national FOLKIE Awards, which are announced annually. Our national winner will receive a grand prize, including a special Folktellers visit to their participating school.
The great thing about all this is that WE KNOW IT WORKS!
A Storytelling for Literacy Case Study
In 2019, in a partnership between the Folktellers team the staff, students and administration at Upton Elementary in Royal Oak, Michigan, 40 fifth graders took part in our pilot Storytelling for Literacy Program.
Over the course of 90 days, students read Book I: Phases of the Moon and then worked in teams to design, develop, and produce their own “folk-tale” film inspired by the book series. These mini-movies were hosted on Folktellers YouTube Channel and voting began.
Based upon subscriber voting, we announced the winners at our inaugural 2019 FOLKIE Film Awards.
The program was such a success that 5th Grade teacher Kim Piccirilli sent us this kind note:
Dear Folktellers Team,
Our class just finished reading Excerpts From An Unknown Guidebook: Book 1: Phases of the Moon by Josef Bastian.
This book was an exciting journey through the eyes of young storytellers, Aaron, Wendy, and Jake. Its mystical adventure kept us wondering and intrigued with what would happen next.
Students could relate with the characters in the story and would often talk about how they can see themselves playing that part in the book. One of the most amazing experiences my students had during this book was when they had the opportunity to share their own stories in the form of a short movie clip.
Their imaginations began to illuminate and the power of storytelling took over. This book has helped my students recognize that each of their own stories are meant to be told. They can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Thank you, Folktellers, for helping us all recognize the true potential of our storytelling!
Mrs. Piccirilli- 5th Grade Teacher, Upton Elementary, Royal Oak, MI
It’s so heartening to be able to inspire youth to engage with technology and a good book, embracing the idea that they hold similar powers of creativity and imagination right in their own hands.
So, in 2020, it’s LIGHTS, CAMERA, READ!
