The Story Sack project is part of the Creative Group Facilitation module in conjunction with Fingal County Library, which students cover in their third year of the Early Childhood Care and Education Degree Course. Part of the student’s assessment on the module is to create their own Story Sack.

Working in pairs, the ITB students were given a well known story e.g. ‘We are going on a Bear Hunt’ by Michael Rosen and then create a sack filled with props and games to bring the story to life for their young audiences.

Margaret O’Donoghue (ITB Lecturer), said of the project “Using Story Sacks can motivate and excite children about reading, they are visually attractive and tactile and can encourage active participation in reading. The project provides mutual benefit, the children have a fun interactive experience through storytelling and the students are given the opportunity to link their practical learning to their course knowledge.”

“The Early Childhood Care and Education teaching team became involved with Fingal County Library in the literacy initiative as it recognised that the development of literacy is essential in the first years of a child’s life. Being part of this initiative strengthens ITB’s commitment to literacy and develops our links to other stakeholders in the local community who are interested in promoting literacy in the early years,” O’Donoghue continued.

“Fingal County Libraries are delighted to work with the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown to facilitate the delivery of the story sack presentations as part of the BA in Early Childhood Care and Education to local Dublin 15 community creches and a primary school as part of Fingal Libraries’ literacy strategy to give children the best start in life through the use of books as fuel for the imagination and lifelong learning.” Siobhan Walshe (Fingal Libraries)

The Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) offers both full time and workbased education at degree and honours degree level in Early Childhood Care and Education. These degrees provide students with the knowledge and skills to work with young children in a variety of early childhood settings.