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Our Approach
Written Out Loud brings together small groups of Storytellers (students) with passionate, qualified Story Directors (our instructors) to drive growth in writing skills, creativity, and confidence. Each Storyteller becomes a published author. This structure, based on the Hollywood writer's room model, inverts three principles all too common in traditional educational models:
Why Team-Based Storytelling?
TEAMS MATTER
Teamwork is an essential part of being human. It was vital to our initial survival as a species, and remains a key to success in the modern world.
Whether in medicine, sports, or the arts (including Hollywood writers’ rooms), many of our most important jobs are best achieved together. Our program creates teams of storytellers who work collaboratively, igniting writing skills, enthusiasm and confidence.
STORIES MATTER
Writing has only been around for 5000 years, but stories have been around since the dawn of man. There is a transformative power in the spoken word- especially when it is used to connect ideas into a story.
What is a story? A story is humanity's most powerful tool: designed to connect us meaningfully with each other. Stories create shared beliefs that make the coordination of society possible.
Not only are stories fundamental to forging connection and meaning in our lives: they are powerful professional and social tools. When interviewing for a job, connecting with friends and family, or convincing anyone of just about anything, the ability to tell a story is essential.
Wait - does this program teach storytelling or writing?
Both. Out-loud storytelling provides jet fuel for inspired writing. Many young learners who begin a writing assignment stall out, feeling frustrated, uninspired or even defeated. But if they FIRST collaborate out loud with a group, these same students gain confidence in their own ideas and abilities. With Written Out Loud, writing is transformed from dreaded drudgery into a habit that students learn to love, command, and master.
As shown below, Written Out Loud has the data to back it up.
What Data or Research Supports Your Methodology?
THE DATA
Our program is designed to connect, inspire, and elevate. Most students love the classes, with 90% of students rating our program 4 or 5 (out of 5 stars). This enthusiasm helps students build momentum- propelling them to write more, using more mature words and making less mistakes along the way. While Written Out Loud is not technically a test prep program, we have found a correlation between participating in our program and growth in scores on state standardized testing, about 30% above the baseline.
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THE RESEARCH
Our program brings children together in small groups to write a story inspired by the books, shows, and movies they love. Our Storytellers begin by collaborating out loud and finish as authors of a published book. These elements closely align with four evidence-based tenets at the core of high-quality instruction. ("The Opportunity Myth,"The New Teacher's Project, 2018)
IMITATION IS POWER
DOES BEING CREATIVE MEAN MAKING A STORY THAT IS ENTIRELY “YOUR OWN”? NO. MOST OF SHAKESPEARE’S STORIES WERE NOT WHOLLY ORIGINAL: THEY WERE INSPIRED BY MYTHS AND LEGENDS THAT WELL PRECEDED HIM. SHAKESPEARE COMBINED ANCIENT TALES WITH HIS OWN INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE, CREATING POWERFUL WORKS THAT CONNECTED DEEPLY WITH HIS AUDIENCES (AND MOST IMPRESSIVELY, CONTINUE TO DO SO TODAY). ART IN ALL OF ITS FORMS CANNOT EXIST IN A VACUUM. EVEN WHEN IT IS PRODUCED BY AN INDIVIDUAL, ITS SIGNIFICANCE, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, IS BUILT IN THE CONTEXT OF SURROUNDING WORKS AND IDEAS.
OUR STUDENTS BEGIN THEIR OWN CREATIVE JOURNEYS BY EXPLORING THE STORIES THEY KNOW AND LOVE. WHAT MAKES AUDIENCES SYMPATHIZE WITH CHARACTERS? WHAT MAKES STORIES SO COMPELLING? OUR STORYTELLERS WORK TOGETHER TO FORGE A STORY THAT WILL BE UNIQUELY SHAPED BY THEIR OWN PERSPECTIVE.
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