In the photograph, from left to right, Sue Ellis, University of Strathclyde, who organised and chaired the UKLA Reading Focus Day with Dr Vivienne Smith and Steve Bell who were invited to make a presentation on Storyline and Critical Literacy. Storyline is essentially experiential and constructivist. It uses expressive arts and language to help children name, discuss, describe and explain their experiences, creating a curriculum that reflects the actual pupils’ lives and concerns. Literacy skills, including research and reference skills, develop as pupils search for answers and information that will lead to their next questions. As they record their ideas, understandings and responses in visual and written formats they create powerful classroom displays that reflect who they are and how they relate to their environment, as well as individual files of work. The presentation considered the possibilities of using Storyline for developing critical literacy and meeting the demands of new creative curricula.
