Workshops & Residencies
Everyone’s a Storyteller
You don’t have to be a professional to tell stories – it’s something we all do every day!
Through the use of paired and group storytelling activities, students discover and tell stories from their own lives. They also learn how using facial expressions, body language, gestures, and their voice help them to become more effective communicators.
Porquoi Tales: Stories that Answer Questions
Children love to ask the question, “Why?” Porquoi tales are stories told around the world that answer that very question! Participants will experience the telling of a porquoi tale, brainstorm and enact other possible ways for answering the question presented by the story, and write their own porquoi tale. In residency format, students will learn to tell or enact their stories through tableaux (frozen pictures).
“The students learned so much about writing and performing. This is definitely an experience that the students will carry with them forever. We loved every minute of it!” – Jaclyn Mitchell, 3rd & 4th Grade Teacher, Avondale Elementary School, (Canton, OH)
Writing Strategies
You have a great book idea! Now what? Lindsay shares some of the strategies she has successfully used to go from initial idea to finished manuscript. From making word lists, to researching, to acting out her characters to doodling, Lindsay gives young writers a chance to try different strategies as they discover pathways to opening up their own creativity.
Story Writing 101
In this workshop, participants explore the important elements of story such as setting, character and problem through interactive drama activities. They will also walk through the steps of creating a story using a graphic organizer.
Time for Tableau
Tableau is a theatrical technique where actors freeze in poses to create a specific moment from a play or story. It’s also a wonderful tool for helping students engage with and reflect upon literary texts! Using her own picture book, POLAR BEAR ISLAND, which explores themes of diversity and inclusivity, Lindsay guides students in the making of both individual and group tableaux and shows how this unique technique can serve as a spring board for creative writing.
Professional Development for Librarians and Teachers
Bringing Books to Life for Young Readers
Children of all ages are hard-wired to love stories! But what if we could take children beyond being listeners to being active story participants, making them part of the story? In this interactive workshop, Lindsay demonstrates how to bring books to life so that children become actively involved, deepening both their engagement and understand of story content and vocabulary. Workshop participants will explore how to approach a story to make it interactive, how to involve the audience through kinesthetic and vocal participation, and how to use the dramatic technique of tableau (still image pictures) to help children reflect upon characters’ experiences, increasing emotional awareness and empathy.
“Lindsay led two 3-hour sessions for our local Head Start preschool teachers. . . Lindsay was an incredibly engaging and exuberant facilitator and made each session fun and joyful. Her creative drama strategies provided our teachers with fresh, interactive ways to bring stories to life during read-alouds, helping to deepen children’s comprehension, critical thinking, and literacy skills. Lindsay’s dynamic approach not only energized our teachers, but also gave them practical tools to immediately implement in their classrooms.” — Justine Moser, Education Program Coordinator, University of Illinois Springfield
Storytelling: Developing Your Toolkit
Giving children a strong foundation in oral storytelling can fuel their interest and proficiency in reading and writing as well as improve listening and speaking skills. But many educators and librarians are intimidated by the idea of telling stories — even though it’s something we all do every day! In this hands-on workshop, Lindsay will share proven techniques for learning a story as well as the tools a storyteller uses when telling. Participants will make a simple storyboard, do a paired telling activity, and walk away with a new confidence about their own ability to learn and tell stories. Creative ways to make stories interactive through audience-participation will also be explored. Whether you’d like to share stories with students or teach your students to tell for themselves, this workshop will give you skills that can immediately be put to use in your library or classroom.
“Lindsay Bonilla’s storytelling workshop was fantastic! It was highly interactive and full of useful and practical information to learn storytelling. Lindsay is a great teacher and the workshop was a lot of fun. Highly recommended!” — Rachelle Perry, Youth Services Coordinator, Northeast Ohio Regional Library System (NEO-RLS)
Tableau: A Unique Technique for Bringing Literature to Life
In this interactive workshop, participants will learn how to use the dramatic technique of tableau (still image pictures) to explore literature with students of all ages. By making both individual and group tableaux, they will discover how this unique technique can help students reflect upon, engage with and bolster understanding of texts in a physical/kinesthetic way. Participants will also explore how tableau can serve as a starting point for creative writing.
Interested in combining your workshop with a storytelling experience? Click here!
