Hayley - The Sensory Story Teller
I'm a mummy to a 3 year old, and most recently a 4 month old!
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It has been the most challenging and exhausting time of my life, which is why it means so much to me for my little organsiation 'The Sensory Storyteller CIC' to be a part of Mothers Mind Staffordshire.
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'The Sensory Storyteller CIC' delivers relaxed, but meaningful and joyful play interactions, through singing, signing, puppets, sensory props, and most importantly, Storytime! They are as much for the mummies as they are for the babies.
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Favourite food: Chocolate, always!
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Interesting fact: Although, 2 years apart, me and my brother share the same birthday!
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Favourite childhood memory: My dog Spike, I was obsessed with him! We used to always walk him to and from school via the canal and I loved it.
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Hayley's Story - The Sensory Storyteller
Why Sensory Storytelling?
I first encountered Sensory Stories when I was a teacher at a Special School.
Multisensory storytelling was a way of empowering children with a wide range of Special Educational Needs with the ability to not only access the magic of storytime and books, but to engage in the world around them, which isn’t always inclusive!
They allowed opportunity to meet social, emotional, physical, sensory and communication needs, as well as develop subject understanding in every area, using either classic adapted children’s stories, or completely made up stories!
After becoming a mum, I realised how important sensory exploration was for babies too, how important a love of reading from birth was and how the milestones are all also social, emotional, physical, sensory and communication… so I set out to complete Step 1 of The Sensory Storyteller: Sensory Storytelling For Babies!
Since then, I have tweaked and adapted plans and completed all sorts of lovely training, to be able to take my sensory storytelling into a variety of settings and reach children of all ages and abilities, as well as also plan for future Makaton ‘Sing, Sign and Storytime’ classes alongside my ‘Sensory Storytime’ sessions!