Storytelling and Other Magical Moments

Space This school year a few students have really engaged my thinking about space. I noticed students needing big spaces to move about in and could see how they really thrived in our Outdoor Learning spaces. More uniquely I noticed students who needed small personal spaces to have some intimate independent or small group deeply focused moments of play. I simply considered... How could I give more space or provide more spaces (within a small room)? How could I transform and create unique spaces? How could I inspire within small spaces? What is it that they were wanting out of small, more contained spaces? Below are some images of tables, levels, blankets, mats and light that have inspired many students this school year. More interestingly, the same students keep coming back to use the space or check in and see how it has changed week to week, during our Free Flow learning time on Fridays. These are not heavily planned provocations, these are invitations for "smaller,...

This year I decided to link the creation of personal story boxes to our Unit of Inquiry, Where We Are in Place and Time.  Here is the story of our stories.

As our kindergarteners prepare for their seasonal concert, The Festival of Light , we consider light in all parts of our learning. How does light change our decisions when we play? How does light enhance our stories? How is light different in different celebrations? How do light and dark make us feel? We offered little lights during play engagements and Writer's Workshop. The element of light was uniquely different to each child... The light was there to hold the princess and to make it pretty. - Esma The light in my story was thrown at the football player to knock him down by the fan. - Tigran The light helped find the way back home. -Anthony The light was the mom (an angel light) and magic for the poor people. - Mia The light helped the football guy and the pig go further along on the path. - Alex The light told the pets to take off their jewelry. - Juliet The light got hot and melted the snow. - Konstantin Above children are wo...

After Christmas is an amazing (and cheap) time to find loose parts on sale at Hobby Lobby, Michael's, various Dollar Stores, Jo-Ann Fabric and even Target. Here are a few of my last minute purchases on my visit to the US. Even decorative pieces from gifts were valuable for my back to school stories and play. Different balls, ornaments and marbles to add to construction, stories, designs and light table creations.  Ornament hooks that fit nicely into old wooden pegboards. I will add this to my screws, nails, small straws and golf tees. Pegboards are great provocations for math, but also fantastic for small (contained) storytelling spaces. Cannot wait to put these by the light table and construction area. These will be added to two story boxes. They were less than a dollar with the sales at Hobby Lobby. Perfect inviting story box provocations. Although not on sale, I always love some rainbow ribbon, for those spontaneous magical moments.

My first attempt at using Adobe Spark Pages.

An eager student kindly borrowed a storybox to take outside and retell the story in the sun with some friends. I wasn't in class when she returned it and this is what I found. " I brang the story box back." Authentic Writing! A sneaky pictures of some students borrowing a box for a storytelling session during their outdoor time.

I take it upon myself to find inexpensive ways to further develop story boxes, loose parts creations and writing prompts. I look at all recycleable materials, dollar stores, garage sales, brockis (Swiss second hand stores) and fleamarkets. After visiting a fleamarket (Baar Flohmarkt) on a beautiful Saturday, for less than 20 dollars I found Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, a Transformer, a Japanese Kokeshi doll, a bride and groom, metal car, 3 Hello Kitties, a glass scuba diver, a glass dolphin, 3 My Little Ponies, a new story box and old keys. Monday storytelling is looking good.

In order to give a focus to some regular (and lengthy) storytellers, I searched for ways to keep stories moving and also help give them a beginning and a middle and an ending. I read about creating "story bracelets" or "story beads." Story Beads The green bead (go) signifies the beginning of the story. Once upon a time... One day... Once there was a girl... A long long time ago... The middle beads signify the other parts of the story. Other ideas and plot of the story. Then, And Next, Next, And then... The red bead (stop) shows the author/storytelling that the end is near that he/she should end the story very soon. Story beads have really helped students keep track of their ideas and have added to their vocabulary related to story crafting.

Once some of our storytelling activites and engagements started taking up space and my materials started overflowing in my classroom I started to create a collection of boxes. Beautiful boxes that would consolidate imagination into a small focused area. I searched for them at second hand and antique stores all over Switzerland. Within these boxes I added pieces of fabric "mats" that would enhance and add to the setting.   I then added a few characters (animals and people). Lastly I added a few bits as a provocation for a story (a jewel, car, tree, a wand, a flower or swords). These boxes were a hit from the start with in my EAL classes. Once my students became confident with creating stories they presented boxes to their homeroom classes and were the experts. What fabulous language opportunities I was able to witness!  Below are my first two.