Case Study

Helping a Child Gain Confidence through Story Club at Bounce Theatre

The Challenge:

Parent, Mr Rama Nauth, recently faced the challenge of supporting his young son who often struggled with shyness and social anxiety at his primary school and when presented with new environments. His son found it difficult to make friends and engage with peers, which worried his father. Even with his background as a former primary school teacher, he felt uncertain about how to help his son become more confident.

The Solution:

Rama’s son joined an introductory Story Club session, a collaboration with Bounce Theatre and Charlotte Wood. During the session, myself and Charlotte, Speech and Language Therapist, guided his son through activities that sparked creativity and encouraged him to interact with others. The safe, fun and structured environment helped him gradually gain trust, connect with his peers, and express himself more freely.

We also showed Rama how to incorporate descriptive praise, encouragement and emotional vocabulary to boost his son’s confidence. By demonstrating these techniques, I gave him practical tools to help his son feel more secure and self-assured. The session became a learning experience for both the child and the parent.

The Outcome:

The Story Club session had a profound impact as Rama’s son, who was initially hesitant to engage, began participating more confidently in group activities. He enjoyed being creative and started chatting with other children, a huge boost in his social development. Rama, now equipped with effective strategies using The Daesy Dialogue, felt more confident in nurturing her son’s emotional well-being.

Reflecting on the session, former primary school teacher, Rama recommends Clare’s series of picture books to be in every classroom; the immersive Story Club experience has strengthened the connection between them and opened new pathways for personal and emotional growth.

Testimonials

I recently had an introduction Story Club session with my son at his primary school. We both had a fantastic time as my son who can be shy at making friends, enjoyed interacting with Clare and her colleagues in several activities that helped him gain his confidence playing with others and exploring his creativity. I too had the opportunity of chatting with Claire who explained to me the rewards of motivating my son through positive praise; expression and language to help raise his self-esteem and confidence. Clare and her colleagues showed me how through positive play and interaction I could effectively communicate with my Son and create happy memories now and into the future. Her insight on how to help children navigate through their emotions was insightful and I found her techniques easy to use when interacting with my son.

Rama Nauth
Father & former primary school teacher