Psytales White Paper

The PsyTales project explores how storytelling can support the development of well-being and emotional resilience among primary school pupils. Through the creation of dedicated tales and pedagogical resources, the project placed a strong emphasis on real-life implementation, testing these materials in diverse educational contexts across Europe (Ireland, Belgium, France, Greece, and Lithuania).

This white paper presents the key insights emerging from this process. It combines the analysis of activities carried out in partner countries with a selection of best practices identified in the field. By bringing together both qualitative and quantitative evidence, it highlights what works in practice, under which conditions, and for whom.

Particular attention is given to the identification and documentation of “best practices”, understood as pedagogical approaches that proved effective in real-life settings. The paper examines how the most successful activities were designed, implemented, and reflected upon, with the aim of supporting teachers and educators in understanding the methodology and adapting the resources to their own contexts.

The experimentation phase also made it possible to identify both common patterns and regional specificities in educational approaches across partner countries. The practices analysed include individual reading combined with class discussion, stress management activities, story circles to foster empathy, and integrated approaches combining storytelling with games, discussion, and creative expression.