What an incredible week we had last week, celebrating National Storytelling Week! This year’s theme, “Soundtrack Your Story,” inspired us to explore how music and rhythm can bring stories to life—perfectly linking with our work as part of the 2026 National Year of Reading, supported by the National Literacy Trust.
One of the highlights was discovering the vibrant world of Alim Kamara, whose songs and raps blend storytelling, rhythm and cultural heritage. His performances filled our classroom with energy, and they helped us think differently about how stories can travel through sound.
But the magic didn’t stop there…
Writing Our Own Rap
As part of our Year 5 National Curriculum poetry objectives, we stepped into the role of poets, lyricists and performers. We worked together to:
- Craft lines that used rhyme, rhythm and figurative language
- Play with pace and intonation to shape meaning
- Edit and refine our verses through teamwork
- Bring our voices together to create a full class rap
Our theme? Celebrating who we are as a class and what reading means to us.
The Big Performance
On Friday, we stood proudly in front of the whole school and performed our original rap. For many of us, it was a moment of courage—speaking clearly, projecting our voices, keeping time together, and performing with confidence.
And we smashed it!
The applause said it all: Year 5 rose to the challenge and shared their story through sound, rhythm and creativity. It was a performance to remember!
Check out our socials to watch our performance, along with the rest of the school.
Looking Ahead
Our week has shown us that poetry isn’t just words on a page. It can be spoken, sung, shouted, or even rapped. Storytelling can come alive in so many forms, and we can’t wait to keep exploring them as part of our Year of Reading journey.
Here’s to more stories, more rhythm and more creativity!
