Of course it is hard to give an absolute answer to such a question, but if one were to search for the key attribute that every citizen of the 21st century needs, I think there would be a strong case for “imagination” to be nominated for the “most important attribute” award.
For, without imagination, how could our society survive? Change happens ever more quickly bringing with it both opportunities and problems, and only those with a really strong ability to imagine possible solutions will be able to adapt and make the most of their lives.
Therefore the use of the imagination is at the heart of almost everything we teach at primary level. A love of reading, for example, both fosters and is fostered by the imagination.
History relies on imagining the narratives of the past. Science requires imagining outcomes, and how to test for them. PSE is related to empathy, which is imagining yourself in another’s shoes – and so on. Imagination is within everything.
The development of the imagination is closely tied to humanity’s development of storytelling. It was by sharing tales of their experiences that early human beings grew the abilities to plan and adapt – abilities which helped them survive changing climates.
But how can one enhance the imagination of young people?
A clue comes from a study by UCL’s Institute of Education, which found that children with a love of reading outperformed their peers in all subjects.
And this is why Snail Tales exists: to help schools like yours nurture a love of storytelling among the children you teach, developing their imaginations and thus making them more rounded human beings, which increases attainment in literacy, numeracy, and enhances a huge range of key skills.
To this end we run a series of training courses in schools, ranging from after school sessions to INSET days on storytelling in the classroom and work with individual year groups. For more details please see our website, call 0203 287 6245 or visit our Contact Us page