ChitraSoundarisanIndian-bornBritishwriter,basedinLondon.ChitragrewuponawholesomedietofstoriesfromIndianmyths,epicsandstoriesfromacrosstheworld.ShewontheBestStorytellingprizewhenshewasseven.Shemadeuplimericksandstoriesandactedinplayswrittenanddirectedbyhermothereveryyearduringsummervacation.Chitrahaswrittenover30booksforchildren,publishedinIndia,US,Singapore,Pakistan,andtheUK.Shehaswrittenstories,poemsandriddlesformanychildren’smagazinestoo.YoucanfindoutmoreaboutChitraatwww.chitrasoundar.com.

ChitraSoundarEmail:Chitra@chitrasoundar.com

ConnectonFacebookviahttps://www.facebook.com/ChitraSoundarAuthorConnectonTwitter@csoundarFindheronInstagram@chitra.soundarSubscribetoChitra’snewsletteratwww.chitrasoundar.com

SchoolVisits–TalksandWorkshops

Reception,Year1,Year2•  StorytellingfromChitra’sbooksand

folktales.•  Includessongs,interactiveparticipation

andchildrenmakingupvariousaspectsofthestory.

•  Groupsize:Class-sizetofullyear-group.

Years3-6IdeaBlaster★

IdeaBlasterstartswithanintroductiontohowChitra’sbooksoriginatedinhermind.Wheredidshegettheseideasfrom.ThenChitrawillshowhowideascanbepluckedoutoftheworldaroundus.Theclasswillthencreateastorytogetherbyendofthesession.

StorytellingWorkshopChitrawillshowstudentshowtotellstoriesandinsmallgroupschildrenwouldperforminfrontoftheirpeers.

StorytellingChitratellsstoriesfromIndianepics,folkloreandotherSouth-Asiancountries.Inastorytellingsession,shewouldnormallytellonestoryfollowedbyaninteractivestory-makinggamewiththechildren.Suitableforallages.

Talk(ClassroomandSchoolAssembly)EitherintheAssemblyorinsmallergroups,Chitraoffersatalk“MyStory–MyLife”thattalksabouthowshecameintowritingandstorytellingandhowsheprogressedfromherfirstpublication.ForYears4,5,6–Chitrawillalsoofferthetalk“MyWritingProcess”eitherasanassemblytalkorforeachyeargroup.Inthistalkshewoulddiscusshowshegathersideas,howtheybecomestories,howshehastoobserve,collectdetails,doresearchetc.Shewillbringrealexamplesofhernotebooks,manuscriptsandsuchandalsoofferthechancetolistentoaworkinprogress.

TeacherCPD

•  Chitraalsotrainsteachersonstorytellingandcreativewriting.Getintouchifyouwantasessionforyourschool.

ArrangingaSchoolVisit

FeeforSchoolVisitsPleasecontactChitraforthelatestrates.•  Expensesforovernightstaywhereneededandtransportwouldbeagreedwiththeschoolat

thetimeofthebooking,dependingonthelocationoftheschoolandtransportlinkstoLondon.

•  ChitraishappytotraveltoanylocationintheUKorabroad.Pleasediscussyourneedsanddatesthatyourequire.

•  Chitrawillinvoicetheschoolonthedayofthevisitorlater.Pleaseinformanynecessaryprocessrelatedinstructionsatthetimeofthebookingorbeforetheschoolvisit.

BooksalesChitrarecommendsarrangingforbooksaleswithalocalbookshop.Ifyou’reunsure,pleasegetintouchtofindthenearestbookshopthatwouldofferaschoolservice.Mostbookshopswouldpreferabookorderissentpriortothevisitandthecostofthebookscollectedinadvance.Chitraishappytosignafterclassroomsessionsarecompletedandalsotomeetwithparents.

LibraryCopiesItisalwaysnicetofindbooksinthelibrarybefore/afteranauthorvisit–sothatchildrencanreadthestories,engagewiththevisitbetter.Combinedwiththeactivitypacksitcreatesaconnectionwiththechildrenandthevisitingauthor.ItwouldbegreatiftheschoolpurchasesafewcopiesofChitra’sbooksaheadofthevisit.

RequiredFacilitiesforChitra’sVisitForAssemblyTalksIt’llbegreatforchildrentobeseatedinthehallasperyourschoolassemblypractices.Chitrawillbringherpresentationsinaflashdrivethatneedstobeconnectedtoacomputer(attachedtotheprojector).Schoolsusuallypreferusingtheirowncomputers.AlsopleasemakesurethepasswordfortheassemblycomputerisavailablesoChitracanloadupthepresentation.Ifaclipmikeisavailable,Chitrawillbehappytouseit.Ifnot,she’dpreferahand-heldmikeornoneatall.

ForWorkshopsClassroomworkshopsYearsReception,1and2asitisstorytelling,itwouldbegoodforthemtositonthematfacingChitra.Ifthereisasmartboard,Chitracandisplaythebooktoo.Ifthereisaprojectorconnectedtothecomputer,Chitracouldshowsomeimagesineachbookfromherflashdrive.ForYears3-6,intheclassroom,itwouldbeidealforchildrentobeintheirregulargroupsattheirtables.Eachstudentshouldhaveaccesstoanotebookorsheetsofpaper,pencilsandcolourpencilstoo.Chitrawillbringpropsandpromptsdependingontheworkshop.Childrenwillberequiredtowritefewminutesonvarioustopics.Itwouldbegreattousethesmart-boardtodisplaythevariouspropsandpromptssothechildrencouldseenotjusttheirownpropsbutalsofromothergroups.Allworkshopswouldhave5-10minutesofQ&Aattheend.Assemblytype–workshopsformultipleyear-groupsAssemblytypeworkshopscouldgetverynoisyandlessproductive.Howevermanyschoolspreferthistomaximiseanauthorvisitespeciallyiftherearemultipleclassesperyeargroup.Tomakethiseffective,eachclasswouldsitintheirowncircle/semi-circlefacingChitrawitheachoftheclassteachersandTAseatednexttothem.Iwouldencourageteachersjoiningintheactivities.Mostactivitieswouldinvolvewritingandinteractivediscussionsanditwouldbegoodifchildrenhaveaccesstopaperandpencilsduringthesession.Itwouldbegreattohaveasmartboardoracomputerconnectedtoaprojectortoshowthepromptsandtheprops.Itisnotmandatory.Dependingonthedurationoftheworkshops,last10minutescouldbededicatedtoQ&A.

GeneralItwouldbegreatifChitracouldhaveaccesstothestaff-roomandbeabletouseteamakingfacilitiesetc.duringbreaks.Ifthereisaschoolcanteenwithvegetarianlunchoptions,itwouldbegoodtogetaccesstothis.Ifnot,Chitrawouldbringapackedlunch.ChitrawillNOTneedcar-parkspaceassheusespublictransportforallvisits.

ReadyReckonerforeventrequirements

Pre-VisitandPost-VisitActivitiesFortheschooltobenefitfullyfromaschoolvisit,authorsrecommendthatthechildrenfindoutmoreabouttheauthorbeforethevisitandcontinuetoworkonprojectsthatwereinspiredbytheauthorafterthevisit.Pre-Visit:Here’swhatyoucandobeforeChitravisitsyourschool1.  Getcopiesofherbooksandmakeitavailabletoclassesorinthelibrary.2.  Lookupthewebsiteasaclassanddiscussthebodyofwork.3.  Downloadthebookrelatedactivitiesfromwww.chitrasoundar.com/kidsandgethands-

on.4.  PreparealistofquestionsthechildrenwanttoaskChitrawhenshevisits5.  Informtheparentsoftheschoolvisitandsendoutbookorderforms.

Post-Visit:Chitra’sworkshopsinvolvestory-making,planningastoryandtellingastory.Therewillbeenhancedbenefitsincompletingsomeoftheprojectsstartedduringthevisit.1.  Ifeachgrouphascreatedastory

plan,encouragethemtofinishthestoryinthenextEnglishorlibraryperiods.

2.  Createabookprojectwhereallstoriesarecompiledintoabookandlentoutoftheschoollibrary.

3.  Encourageassemblysessionswherechildrencanreadoutortelltheirstoriestotheyeargrouporthewholeschool

4.  Exhibittheartwork,storiesandstorymapschildrencreatedduringtheworkshops.

5.  Encouragetheclasstowritetotheauthortoupdatethemonhowthestoriesprogressed.

6.  ArrangeaSkypevisit(http://www.chitrasoundar.com/free-skype-author-visits/)tosharethechildren’sachievementwiththeauthor.

7.  Sharethesuccessoftheauthorvisitandthechildren’sachievementsintheschoolnewsletterorasalettertotheparents.