Stories in Action: Interactive Tales and Learning Activities to Promote Early Literacy

241 Pages·2006·3.08 MB·English

by  Bill Gordh

Stories in Action:
Interactive Tales and
Learning Activities to
Promote Early Literacy
Bill Gordh
LIBRARIES UNLIMITED
Stor ies in Ac tion

Stor ies in Act ion
In ter ac tive Tales and Learn ing Ac tiv i ties
to Pro mote Early Lit er acy
Bill Gordh
Westport, Con nect i cut • Lond on
Li brary of Con gress Cat a log ing-in-Pub li ca tion Data
Gordh, Bill.
Sto ries in ac tion : in ter ac tive tales and learn ing ac tiv i ties to pro mote early lit er acy / By Bill Gordh.
p. cm.
In cludes bib lio graph i cal ref er ences and in dex.
ISBN 1-59158-338-1 (pbk : alk. pap er)
1. Sto ry tell ing. 2. Early child hood ed u ca tion—Ac tiv ity pro grams. I. Ti tle.
LB1042.G66 2006
372.67’7—dc22 2006007465
Brit ish Li brary Cat a logu ing in Pub li ca tion Data is avail able.
Copyr ight © 2006 by Bill Gordh
All rights res erved. No port ion of this book may be
rep rod uced, by any proc ess or techn ique, witho ut the
exp ress writt en con sent of the publ isher. An ex cept ion
is made for reproducibles, which may be copi ed for
class room and ed u ca tional pro grams only.
Lib rary of Cong ress Cata l og Card Num ber: 2006007465
ISBN: 1-59158-338-1
First publ ished in 2006
Lib rari es Unl imi ted, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
A Memb er of the Greenw ood Publ ishi ng Group, Inc.
www.lu.com
Printed in the United States of Amer ica
The pap er used in this book comp lies with the
Perm an ent Pa per Stand ard is sued by the Na tional
In for ma tion Stan dards Or ga ni za tion (Z39.48–1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For my mother, Gwen Gordh, my wife Jenny, and my two child ren,
Cody and Rac hel, and for all the child ren who have heard
or will hear these stor ies and make them their own.

Con tents
CCoonn tteennttss
Ack nowle dgm ents .........................................................xiii
In tro duc tion ...............................................................xv
Part One:
Exp lori ng Themes through Stor ies
1—Tales of Crowded Dwelli ngs ......................................................3
Fing er Play Warm-Up ............................................................3
The Fly’s Cast le.................................................................3
Stor yt elli ng Tips (All Ages) ...................................................5
Act ivi ty: Acti ng out the Story (Pre-K–Grade 1)....................................5
Act iv ity: Chil dren Ret elli ng the Tale (Grades 2–4) .................................6
Group Disc uss ion: The Struct ure of the Tale (Grades 2–4) ...........................7
The Quiet Even ing...............................................................7
Act ivi ty: The Knock-Knock Game (Pre-K–Grade 1) ................................8
Act ivi ty: Child ren Add ing to a Story (Grades 2–4) .................................8
The Farmer’s Noisy House (Pol and) .................................................8
Act ivi ty: Acti ng out the Story (Pre-K–Grade 1)...................................12
The Skele t on for “The Farmer’s Noisy House” ...................................14
The matic Pic ture Book Sug ges tions ................................................15
2—Tales Us ing Ech oes and Re flec tion................................................17
Fing er Play Warm-Up ...........................................................17
The Six Silly Cats in Cali co Caps ..................................................17
Stor yt elli ng Tips (All Ages) ..................................................21
Act iv ity: Chil dren Ret elli ng the Tale (Grades 3 and 4)..............................21
The Moon in the Well (Mace d o nia).................................................22
Stor yt elli ng Tips (All Ages) ..................................................23
The Skele t on for “The Moon in the Well” .......................................24
The Lion in the Well (Ind ia) ......................................................25
The Skele t on for “The Lion and the Well”.......................................27
The matic Pic ture Book Sug ges tions ................................................28
3—Tales of Dreams ...............................................................29
Fing er Play Warm-Up ...........................................................29
The Wood cut ters ...............................................................29
Act ivi ty: Acti ng out the Story (Pre-K–Grade 1)...................................33
Act ivi ty: Shari ng Dream Stor ies (Grades 2–4)....................................34
Act ivi ty: Crea ti ng Group Dream Stor ies (Grades 2–4)..............................34
Coyo te and the Meat (Pueblo Amer ic an In dia ns) ......................................35
Stor yt elli ng Tips (All Ages) ..................................................36
Act ivi ty: Acti ng out the Story (Pre-K–Grade 1)...................................36
Act ivi ty: Crea ti ng Ani m al Dream Stor ies (All Ages)...............................37
The Skele t on for “Coyo te and the Meat” ........................................38
The matic Pic ture Book Sug ges tions ................................................39
vii
viii Con tents
4—Tales of Magi c al Helpe rs........................................................41
Fing er Play Warm-Up ...........................................................41
Inga and the Ten Fairy Help ers ....................................................41
Stor yt elli ng Tips ...........................................................44
The Cal a bash Chil dren (East Af rica)................................................45
Act ivi ty: Acti ng out Part of the Story (Pre-K–Grade 1) .............................46
The Skele t on for “The Cala b ash Child ren”.......................................47
Act ivi ty: Crea ti ng a Magi c al Helper (All Ages)...................................48
The matic Pic ture Book Sug ges tions ................................................48
5—Tales of Shar ing...............................................................49
Fing er Play Warm-Up ...........................................................49
The Honey Pot.................................................................49
Stor yt elli ng Tips (All Ages) ..................................................52
The Three Broth ers (Greece)......................................................52
Story Ac tiv ity: Chil dren Mak ing Wishes (All Ages) ...............................54
The Skele t on for “The Three Brothe rs” .........................................55
The Story Bag (Kor ea)...........................................................56
Act iv ity: Crea ti ng a Story Bag (All Ages) .......................................57
The Skele t on for “The Story Bag” .............................................58
The matic Pic ture Book Sug ges tions ................................................59
6—Tales of In an i mate Ob jects An i mat ing ............................................61
Fing er Play Warm-Up ...........................................................61
I’m a Litt le Teap ot..............................................................61
The Clay Tea pot Takes Charge ....................................................62
Stor yt elli ng Tips (All Ages) ..................................................64
Act ivi ty: Acti ng out the Story (Pre-K–Grade 1)...................................64
Act ivi ty: Child ren Pres ent ing the Tale as a Group (Grades 2–4) ......................64
The Talk ing Yam (West Af rica) ...................................................64
Act iv ity: Acti ng out the Story (All Ages)........................................66
The Skele t on for “The Talki ng Yam”...........................................67
The Clay Pot’s Party (Bolivia).....................................................68
Act ivi ty: Acti ng out the Story (Pre-K–Grade 1)...................................68
Act ivi ty: Playi ng a Game Based on the Story (Pre-K–Grade 1).......................68
The Skele t on for “The Clay Pot’s Party” ........................................69
Act ivi ty: Crea ti ng Stor ies with Ina ni m ate Obj ects Ani m ati ng (Grades 2–4) .............70
The matic Pic ture Book Sug ges tions ................................................70
Part Two:
Ex plor ing Char ac ter through Sto ries
7—West Af ri can Spi der Sto ries .....................................................73
Fing er Play Warm-Up ...........................................................73
Why Spid er Has Crooked Legs ....................................................73
Stor yt elli ng Tips (All Ages) ..................................................76
Act iv ity: Tell ing the Story with Only Gest ures (All Ages)...........................77
Act iv ity: Play ing the Splat Game (Pre-K–Grade 1) ................................77
Sto ry tell ing Tips for Chil dren Sto ry tell ers (Grades 2–4) ............................77
Spi der at Hawk’s Feast...........................................................79
Act ivi ty: Add ing an Endi ng (All Ages)..........................................80
The Skel e ton for “Spi der at Hawk’s Feast”.......................................82
Con tents ix
Spi der’s Stew Cap ..............................................................83
Act iv ity: Acti ng out the Story (All Ages)........................................85
Act ivi ty: Add ing an Endi ng (Grades 2–4)........................................85
The Skele t on for “Spid er’s Stew Cap” ..........................................87
Three Spid er Sto ries: Notes on Three Ways of Work ing ............................88
Spid er and Knowle dge...........................................................88
The matic Pic ture Book Sug ges tions ................................................90
Part Three:
Ex plor ing Cul tures through Sto ries
8—Learni ng about Mex ic an Cult ure through Folk tales .................................93
Fing er Play Warm-Up ...........................................................93
The Wild Cherry Tree ...........................................................93
Stor yt elli ng Tips (All Ages) ..................................................96
Act ivi ty: Acti ng out the Story (Pre-K–Grade 1)...................................97
Act iv ity: Add ing Char act ers to the Tale (All Ages) ................................97
Half a Blan ket (Mex ico)..........................................................98
Ac tiv ity: Shar ing Sto ries about Grand par ents (All Ages)............................99
The Skel e ton for “Half a Blan ket” ............................................100
Coy ote’s Tail .................................................................101
Act ing out the Story (Pre-K–Grade 1)..........................................102
Act iv ity: Crea ti ng Di al ogue with Body Parts as Chara ct ers (All Ages)................102
The Skele t on for “Coyo te’s Tail” .............................................104
The matic Pic ture Book Sug ges tions ...............................................105
9—Learni ng about the Bra zili an Am a zon through Folkt ales............................107
Fing er Play Warm-Up ..........................................................107
The To mor row Mon keys........................................................107
Stor yt elli ng Tips (All Ages) .................................................111
Act ivi ty: Acti ng out the Story (Pre-K–Grade 1)..................................112
Act ivi ty: A Varia t ion on Acti ng out the Story: Buildi ng the House (Pre-K–Grade 1).....112
Act ivi ty: Disc uss ing the Story (Grades 2–4).....................................112
The Tricky Tur tle..............................................................113
Stor yt elli ng Tip (All Ages) ..................................................115
Act ivi ty: Acti ng out the Story (Pre-K–Grade 1)..................................115
Act ivi ty: Exp lori ng Names in a Story (Grades 2–4)...............................115
The Skele t on for “The Tricky Tur tle”..........................................116
How the Humm ingb ird Got Its Colo rs..............................................117
Stor yt elli ng Tips (All Ages) .................................................118
Act ivi ty: Movi ng Like a Hum mingb ird (Pre-K and K).............................118
Ac tiv ity: Pro vid ing Col ors for the Hum ming bird (Grades 2–4)......................118
The Skele t on for “How Humm ingb ird Got His Colo rs”............................119
The matic Pic ture Book Sug ges tions ...............................................120
10—Learn ing about North east ern Amer i can In dians through Folk tales...................121
Fing er Play Warm-Up ..........................................................121
The Frog Pond ................................................................121
Stor yt elli ng Tips (All Ages) .................................................123
Act ivi ty: Disc uss ing Sad End ings and the Meani ng of the Story (All Ages) ............123
The Sto ry tell ing Stone..........................................................124
Sto ry tell ing Ac tiv ity: Be com ing the Sto ry tell ing Stone (Grades 2–4) .................125