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Lis'n Tell can be used with children from two years old upwards and adults with a wide variety of Speech Language and Communication Needs.

The latest:

May 2010

Panhellenic Association of Logopedists, Athens, Greece:

''I participated in the Lis'n & Tell training that took place in Athens on September 2009 and I practiced everything I learned from you in my clinical setting. Story telling proved to be really helpful. I really believe than story telling can make a difference for our children and for us as therapists, (and why not ''healers'') of a child's soul through communication development''. Iannis Martinis, Speech and Language Therapist, Athens, Greece

Lis'n Tell two day intensive UK:

''Incredibly exciting!..ideas on how to make storytelling objectives accessible to students of all ages....I can use it in all subjects, from Maths to teaching speaking and listening...a fantastic weekend.'' Teacher of children with Special Needs from South London

''Full, varied and practical...and a chance for questions which made the Lis'n Tell approach come alive - relates to many areas of my work from phonological awareness to pre-school to older children with ASD'' SLT from Norfolk

''Well paced and well mixed with theory and practice...''. SLT Central London

''Very inspiring, I can see immediate oppurtunities for using this...'' SLT and Teacher of EAL, Italy

''I loved it...very excited to go back and develop stories with the children...'' Sure Start SLT from an ICAN centre

''Rich and inspiring....I feel we can bring our narrative groups alive with your techniques''. Principal SLT of Mainstream Schools Service

 ''the little group'' an innovative nursery for children with Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC):

Comments from Staff after follow up training:

• I feel I have taken more about using the rhythm of the children's own movements to develop storytelling rather than imposing our own structure on them.
  
• This training was fantastic!Louise has given me more confidence to tell stories and sing songs in the classroom with more actions and expressions.
• I feel I can express a story or event with the children really working on their communication.
  
• It has given me confidence and was great fun and informative!
• Louise gave me practice in adapting exciting stories for my pre-verbal group. I feel I have taken more about using the rhythm of the children's own movements to develop storytelling rather than imposing our own structure on them.
  

From my point of view, I booked you again to give the team a really good time! I knew you'd come up trumps and that the team would feel lifted and inspired.
Judy Gilham
Head teacher
'the little group' Early Years Centre Ltd.

April 2010

Every Child a Talker Project, North London:
''We booked Louise as part of the Every Child a Talker (ECAT) project to help our practitioners support children's speech language and communication through storytelling, particularly those children who had been assessed as ''at risk of delay'' according to the child monitoring descriptors. Louise's session was lively, stimulating, practical and fun and met our objectives and so much more! We saw our practitioners grow in confidence throughout the day and they have gone away with lots of ideas and practical activities which we have already seen in action. The feedback was amongst the best we have ever seen from a training session and we would have no hesitation in recommending Louise as an excellent trainer''. March 31st 2010 Matt Hipperson and Tai Gyn, ECAT Advisory Teachers, North London.

January 2010 Lis'n Tell Intensive:

This work has given me a new lease of life'. Sarah Palmer Speech and Language Therapist with children and teenagers with moderate to severe learning disabilities.  March 2010

by Warwick Goble

More of the Latest Evidence:

(Please left click on right hand column quote for more testimonials...)

2010:

....a wonderful weekend of stories.I told our 'star money' story today for 2 groups of children and they loved it. I asked you about aims and today the school had worked out some separate groups - one social confidence and esteem, the second sound problems and the third sequencing and ordering problems. I have a clear aim for each child so this has made things a lot easier and I will be able to work these all in to the story. The sessions went really well (4 children in each) and they all want to come back next week! So thank you for all your words and advice and the chance for myself to gain more confidence in this area. I have started work on 'The 3 Little Pigs' and have a much clearer idea of how I want to deliver the story. The school is really interested in the work and I will be preparing some information to send home to parents about Lisn' Tell. CH SLT Participant at Lis'n Tell w/e January 2010

2009:

(Following the Lis'n Tell 2 day training in November) 'I am still developing my interactive story-telling skills in my work with children in mainstream schools. I have adapted 3 well-known stories and am about to roll out my own!! One school has very much embraced this form of therapy and all the children on that caseload are involved in story-telling groups. We have had great outcomes and school staff feel the children are generalising their skills into a classroom setting. The children are Key stage 1 (4-7 years). They primarily have delayed or disordered/persistent language difficulties. Many also have difficulties with attention and listening and/or social communication. A small number have ASD.' Kate Weeden, Speech and Language Therapist, Speech and Language Therapy Schools Team, Wembley Centre for Health and Care, Brent PCT

'We have had such good feedback about the Lis'n Tell sessions from the Teachers and children (Year 7's) that we would like to continue next year...'.

''This is a great way for my students to play imaginatively, yet in a structured way...and many those who usually find it really hard to join in group activities are motivated to participate...'' Mrs B. Teacher of Year 7 Group.

Glebe Specialist College for Cognition and Learning for children from 11 to 16 years old

''We have now run a pilot of our Lis'n Tell groups with 3-5 year olds under our local Sure Start project - with amazing results! We have really enjoyed the groups, and have had such positive feedback from the Nursery staff and all the children involved. The children have really amazed us with the development of their imagination during the course of 5 short weeks. We would both like to thank you again for your wonderful training in Stirling in June - it really has been inspirational, and we are finding it a genuinely usable approach for Nurseries to manage''.

Speech and Language Therapist, Grangemouth Health Centre, Kersiebank Avenue, Grangemouth, Scotland.

''I was at your course last June. Just wanted to tell you I started daily sessions with my small group and they are going fantastically well. We videoed the second session and then again a fortnight later and the improvements were already evident. One of the children in my group had until then refused to participate in group sessions. She is now engaged, participating in the actions and the words and really enjoying it. Another child would not remain seated during group sessions and is now focused and participating with the actions. I also do larger sessions once a week. The staff all love it too and my head teacher thinks it is marvelous. I have adapted quite a few classic fairy tales into the Lis'n Tell style and am really enjoying it all myself. Thanks so much for showing us this style of story telling. I just new it was going to change the lives of my pupils and it has''. Lesley Cooper, Teacher of children aged 4-9 years old, St Duthus Special School, Tain, Scotland.


2007

'' Well, I have to say that I've been using your technique since the day I got back to work after the conference, and it's working like a dream. The repeated structure, the repeated phrases + gestures and the engaging context of a story are immensely powerful in enabling children to learn language''.Michelle Buckman Australian Speech Pathologist who attended Lis'n Tell workshop at Australian National Conference, Sydney, May 2007

2006

I attended your Live Inclusive Storytelling training in December 06 and found it inspiring!
I work at a special needs school for children with moderate learning difficulties.
I've used your training with one teenager there who seemed to be tiring of traditional speech work. I discovered that he has a passion for drama and travel and wanted to tap into these interests.

He decides what kind of story he would like (for the latest one he said he wanted something about Japan), I find something he might like, we go through it together and he elaborates on points, takes the story in the direction he wants and we identify key sounds/words he has difficulty with.

We use picture symbols or props and he re-tells the story each week in our session. His therapy target is to self-correct his speech errors. He has a chart with the target sounds/words on and he ticks them if he self-corrects unprompted, for example.

He seems to really enjoy the sessions now and I have noticed a great improvement in his motivation as well as his ability to self-monitor. He keeps saying that he wants to 'perform' one of our stories to the primary school at the end of term!

I also work at a Further Education college with young adults with learning disabilities. I've really encouraged the drama tutor to use Interactive Storytelling and that seems to be taking off.
I take a group and there were two young men who I struggled to get involved in any activities but at the end of the session, we have gone through 'Chicka-boom' - fantastic! Those two young men really engage with it in a way I haven't really seen them engage with anything else - they make suggestions, they make comments, and they laugh! Helps with articulation, confidence, group cohesion.

S.C Speech and Language Therapist, Eastern Coastal Kent

Other Feedback:

October 2009

The Sheiling Camphill Residential School for Children with Special Needs:

''You bring such a free and creative flow of inspiration to Story Telling which is extremely inspiring, accessible and empowering for everyone.

It is rare to find someone who has such a wealth of experience relating to pupils with levels of ability such as our students.

A highly enriching, educational and entertaining day''.

Sarah Palmer, Speech and Language Therapist

''The best training workshop in forty years!'' Michael, Learning Support Assistant

''The day was both inspiring and educational. Many who I have spoken to have agreed that the learning process for building communication skills was the best we have ever had in all our training sessions, ever''. Axel Keim, Teacher of Woodcarving, The Sheiling

September 09

The National Association of Logopedists Athens, Greece:

''...a very pleasant surprise!!!!!!!!
You showed me another perspective of what speech and language therapy can be.
I already started using storytelling. I am so enthusiastic about your seminar....''
SLT Participant at The Lis'n Tell training for The Panhellenic Association of Logopedists, Athens, Greece, September 09

Teachers of Year 7,8 and 9 students at St. Philip's School, Kingston, where Lis'n Tell workshops launched their Creative Education course:

• I was impressed with how quickly Louise assessed the childrens' temperaments and drew them in appropriately.
• Louise picked up on one of the girl's comments and immediately gave her the role of the Mamma, making her a real part of the story. This girl had been ostracised by one of the other girls in the group, making this opportunity particularly important for her.
• The children loved using the props. The story was at their level and her timing was brilliant, drawing the story to a conclusion as the session ended.
• We were also impressed with how quickly you remembered the childrens names and used them.

August 2009

Louise worked with Danya Miller to perform ''It was a Dark and Stormy Night'' based on the story by Janet and Alan Ahlberg at The Edinburgh Fringe. Their show received four and five star reviews and reached the top 5 HITLIST! out of about 100 childrens' shows in the Fringe Magazine: The List.

July 2009

''Thank you for a fabulous training, what a wonderful morning we all had! The response was so positive and several of my team have already rushed into schools with new ideas and inspiration!''

Judy Roux, Team Leader
Language, Communication and Interaction Team
Learning Support Service
Learning and Schools, C&YPS, Newham

March 2009

Feedback from Lis'n Tell introductory day, Fiveways Special School, Somerset:

''Brilliant! A really practical and fun day to build communication and storytelling into positive relationships with children''.

Janette Parker, Advisory Teacher, Social and Behaviour Support Service(SEBSS)

'A most informative day. I can't wait to take this back to my school...''. Dawn Speed, Redstart School, Chard

''A fantastic day, I can't wait to try storytelling with my group of children with severe language difficulties''. Sue Harrison

''...taught me new skills to use with young people with SEBD''. Ali Chown, Play Therapist

''A fascinating insight into active storytelling and wonderful techniques to draw out children to participate at their level''. Naomi David, Teacher, Fiveways School

''It drew the creative side of us out. We will use this in mainstream, it has enriched us''. Tracy P and Sally K Milford Junior School

''Lots of food for thought. I will change my practice''. Valerie Stewart, Speech and Language Therapist, Fiveways School

February 2009

''One of the best inset sessions we have ever had. Incredible team building and brilliant techniques. We are going to invite you back and develop this...''.

Keith Seed, Head Teacher, Glebe School, a specialist college in cognition and learning, Bromley, Kent.

Following an open one day intro to Lis'n Tell requested by postgraduate SLT students who attended a session at Greenwich Medway University:

'...what a very positive, enjoyable day it's been. It has strengthened my belief in the way I approach the children I work with, and has given me some really concrete, exciting ways to take that forward. I am really heartened by the way that you celebrate the strengths of this group of children with whom we work'. GH - Research Speech and Language Therapist currently working in clinics while doing an MSc

November 08

From the Lis'n Tell two day training for Speech and Language Therapists -Nov 14th -16th 08

''I just wanted to tell you again how much I enjoyed the weekend that we did on storytelling. I find that I am thinking and incorporating bits into my in class experiences that I run weekly. I was also able to influence one of the teachers to get more interactive and inclusive with the children as she was doing the "Fairy Tale" She found that the children loved it and one child who always falls asleep in class did not hardly blink as she was the princess!''
Robin Barwise MSc SLT

Since our weekend, I have begun planning an inclusive storytelling care package for working with children with autism in a Mainstream setting. I have also used a storytelling approach with reception and year 1 children with fantastic responses. One little girl had been previously distracted and non-compliant and was engaged for a whole half hour. One of my lead LSAs has begun using some of the stories with nursery age children and has been impressed with their increase of vocabulary, particularly verb use.
Kate Weeden SLT Speech and Language Therapy Schools Team Brent PCT

October 08

Workshop for East Sussex Early Years Support Scheme and Care Co-ordination Programme

for parents and professionals

Sample evaluation comments:

• Wow! Fantastic! Would have liked the session to have carried on all day!
• Wonderful enthusiasm. Very entertaining & inspiring.
• Excellent, re-awakened ideas & knowledge. Lovely mix of practical & theory.
• Enjoyed the session very much & feel that I can pass information on to other staff members. Very good, all participated well.

June 08

Lis'n Tell staff inset training and demonstration class sessions at Brookfield School for children with Learning Disabilities:

'' At first I thought - Oh, storytelling - they're not very good at sitting! Then, when I went to the staff session I thought 'Right! that's on our wavelength...'. Then when you came to my class, I was impressed. It could have gone on all day. We'll carry it on, we've got lots of ideas from you to work on now.You remembered all their names, and you honed the story to their needs, it was brilliant''.

Liz Lear, Class Teacher KS2

''I've never seen a story done like that! The interaction with the children was so focused...'. Rob, General Support Assistant

''The children were all so involved. Even the ones with such attention difficulties''. Mrs Vincent, Regular Supply Teacher

May 08

Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy Department Redbridge NHS PCT May 6^th and 7^th 2008:

• Found it very useful to have examples of how language concepts can be incorporated into the storytelling. Neema Salema SLT

• A very empowering positive approach to training. Jenny Zentina SLT

• Inspiring!

Loved the practical delivery of the training

Can't wait to try out new strategies

Good range of communication disabilities covered. Caroline Booth SLT

• I liked the opportunity to reflect/debrief/share experiences at the end of the course. Alice Denwood SLT

• This two day course was awakening. Through modelled examples of storytelling methods and techniques I was able to learn new ideas. I was taken back to my childhood when storytelling and listening were part of everyday life! Sophie Rawlings SLT

• Absolutely fantastic two days! An important part of our work is linking activities with targets and curriculum areas, so it has been useful to concentrate on this. Anon participant

• It was really nice to explore SLT targets in a free and creative way. Seema Garg SLT

• Excellent!I definitely feel much more confident in working with groups of children,and have a ssound rationale as to how and why stories can be adapted to target complex communication needs. The structure was good free flowing...a supportive and non -confronting environment.
  The best team building exercise so far! Chris Wade SLT

January 2008

'Within her work with two student theatre companies (D.I.C.E. and Bubble and Speak) Louise inspired and opened a whole new world to the students equipping them with a language and skills which they absorbed with relish and were able to transfer (with confidence) to their performance work with young people with profound and moderate learning disabilites. Louise's training is richly layered; exercising great integrity and creatvity resulting in profound work that resonates on many different levels. It has been a privlege to meet and work alongside her. The students in both companies were left enriched, empowered and better able to realise their performances. Long may our collaboration continue!'

University of Kent

June 07

"The session was a knockout! It gave me so much to think about...I'll need days if not years to process it. Some people are working on the surface, but your work has such depth and resonance that it is really important that more people know about it."
Dr Norman Alm, School of Computing, Researcher in Augmentative and Alternative Communication(AAC), University of Dundee,
who attended one of the Lis'n Tell workshop at the Australian National Conference of Speech Pathology, May 07.
In his Keynote speech, at the Australian National Conference of Speech Pathololgy, Sydney May 07, Dr Alm described how, 'making gestures help us to think'.

June 07

'What you offered the participants was a fresh and creative and very warm way of relating to children with communication difficulties. The workshop activities helped us get in touch with our intuition and creativity and humanity, a very rewarding experience for everyone present. I think that your approach has so much potential and I wish you all the best in opening up these possibilities to people in the future'.
Prof.Jennifer Bowes, Director, Children and Families Research Centre, Institute of Early Childhood,Macquarie University. New South Wales, Australia 2007

May 07

''Louise has a remarkable ability to listen deeply and offer each person imaginative and empowering tools to strengthen their unique voice. She brings sensitivity and passion to her work. She has been a mentor to me for about five years, when I was at The School of Storytelling in England, and then at work in Australia. I have drawn upon her experience and practice for my own storytelling performances, as well as directing actors. Her guidance with 'Look'em in the Eye', a theatre peice that I directed for The Dreaming International and Indigenous Festival in 2007 was invaluable. Louise is a masterful storyteller. Her dynamism, warmth and humour captivate her audience. She is truly inspirational''. Dvora Liberman, Director of Young Audiences, Sydney Opera House, Australia 2006-2008, Storyteller and Theatre Practitioner

May 2007

''Live Inclusive Storytelling. Animated UK Language Therapist and Storyteller, Ms Louise Coigley presented this workshop for more than 50 parents and teachers at the Bishan Community Library. Ms Coigley gave an insightful session about the Lis’n Tell techniques of storytelling. This approach would be particularly useful for parents and teachers who work with children and teenagers with special needs. The speaker also made many recommendations of good reads in our collection''.

Bishan Library Singapore

December 06

''One of the main things I learnt from this course is that storytelling can encompass many areas of speech and language therapy,including phonology,sequencing etc''

SLT participant on Eastern and Coastal Kent Lis'n Tell training, Dec 06

''For our new graduate Therapists, the course has given them a very strong understanding of following the child's lead and being flexible with therapy delivery''.Ann Clemence,SLT Manager, Therapy Service for Schools, Eastern and Coastal Kent Dec 06

Some other follow up feedback after Lis'n Tell training workshops:

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Lifeways Community Conference, Emerson College, July 2008

''...thank you for a most enchanting, creative and playful week last week at Lifeways. I learned such a lot and working with you has really opened up so many more possibilities for me. Thank you so much. I found the way that you work so empowering and inclusive....''. Danya Miller, storyteller, participant at the Rapunzel workshop: 'Let your hair down !' Lifeways Community Conference, Emerson College July 08

paper cut out by Hans Christian Anderson