good practice videos

Good practices across Europe

Discover how teachers, storytellers and educators across Europe bring stories to life and make reading an interactive and enjoyable experience for young children. These short videos showcase practical examples of storytelling combined with music, movement, play and creative activities. They offer inspiration and ideas that parents, teachers and educators can use to encourage children’s curiosity, creativity and language development.

Reading interactively: a demonstration

In this video, a storyteller demonstrates interactive reading strategies using Jill Murphy’s Peace at Last as part of The StoryTime Project. The session shows how parents and educators can make shared reading more engaging by looking closely at illustrations, asking open “I wonder” questions, connecting the story to a child’s own experiences, and exploring the meanings of new words. The video also highlights how children can absorb language from stories and later use new expressions in everyday life, illustrating the important role of shared reading in vocabulary development and early literacy.

Reading with music (Primary School)

In this case study from Orokieta Herri Eskola, music teacher Maider Angulo Olaizola works with first-year pupils to explore Mozart and classical music through discussion, storytelling, creativity and active listening. Using Mozart’s Secret as a starting point, she encourages children to imagine their own stories, express feelings and ideas through music, and become curious about what composers wanted to communicate. The video highlights how classical music can open different forms of expression, support creativity, and give all children access to a rich musical foundation.

Many languages, one story (Reading and dancing)

In this case study from Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, dance teacher, dancer, community artist and theatre maker Willy van Assen works together with language-school teacher Doaa Abdul Hussain to bring the picture book I Want a Forest for My Birthday by Linda de Haan to life. Through movement, music, painting and storytelling, children explore new words and concepts with their whole bodies. The video shows how playful, embodied learning can support children learning Dutch, encouraging language development, participation and enjoyment.

Reading with music (Pre-primary School)

In this case study from Orokieta Herri Eskola, music teacher Maider Angulo Olaizola shows how storytelling, music, movement and acting can help young children engage with classical music. Working with five-year-olds, she introduces composers, musical genres and works such as Mozart’s The Magic Flute through stories and playful activities. By helping children understand the narrative behind the music and step into the roles of its characters, Maider creates meaningful connections between storytelling and musical learning.

When stories move… Reading playfully with puppets

In this case study from Feanwâlden in Friesland, the Netherlands, teacher and language and multilingualism coordinator Wiepie Wouda shows how picture books, puppets and playful interaction can support young multilingual learners. At CBS De Frissel, children encounter Dutch, Frisian and English alongside their home languages. Using the Frisian character Tomke, shared reading and movement, Wiepie creates an engaging environment in which children can explore new words, connect languages and participate confidently in the story.

About our good practice videos

These videos were filmed with lots of lovely people in Marino Institute of Education (Dublin, Ireland), Orokieta Herri Eskola (Zarautz, Basque Country), CBS De Frissel (Feanwâlden, Friesland, the Netherlands), de Taalschool (Leeuwarden, the Netherlands). Click on the button below to learn more about these experts!

Joan Kiely

Joan Kiely has recently completed a six-year term as Dean of Education: Curriculum and Childhood at Marino Institute of Education. Joan’s responsibilities included leading the B.Ed. degree and masters’ programmes. The B.Ed. degree through the medium of Irish, (B.OID), the Professional master’s in education (PME) programme and the B.Sc. in Early Childhood Education are also situated in the school of curriculum and childhood.

Joan now works as a senior lecturer and lectures on Early Childhood Education on the B.Ed. and PME programmes. Joan led the M.ES in Early Childhood Education programme from 2014 until 2022 and taught modules on policy and practice in early childhood and language and literacy in early childhood. She now supports the new programme leader, Dr. Clara Fiorentini, in her role. Joan’s research interests include looking at the voice of the child, play, oral language development, early literacy, and parental involvement in their children’s education.

Maider Angulo Olaizola

Maider Angulo Olaizola is an experienced music teacher at Orokieta Herri Eskola, where she has taught for more than 16 years and has around 20 years of experience in music education overall. She mainly works with young children in early childhood education and the first cycle of primary school. In her teaching, she combines music, storytelling, movement, and acting to help children understand composers, musical genres, and works such as opera in an engaging and meaningful way.

Wiepie Wouda

Wiepie Wouda is a teacher and language and multilingualism coordinator at CBS De Frissel in Feanwâlden, the Netherlands. She works in the school’s “language boost” programme, supporting pupils who need extra help or additional challenge in language learning. Her work focuses on multilingual education and inclusive literacy practices, using playful approaches such as picture books and puppets to engage young children and help them connect with Dutch, Frisian, English, and their home languages.

Willy van Assen

Willy van Assen is a dance teacher, dancer, community artist, and theatre maker. Her work combines movement, storytelling, and creative experiences to support children’s learning. She believes children learn through their whole bodies and senses, and uses dance and movement to help them experience stories, understand concepts, and engage with language in an enjoyable and memorable way.