Teaching Children to Read: The Wisdom of Margaret Meek

I've written many posts on early reading, because in some ways, the very earliest reading is the most interesting. I never cease to be fascinated and amazed at how quickly toddlers move from chewing books, to looking with deep interest at pictures; vocalizing what they think about them, and then trying to read them to anyone who will listen. This is usually based on their version of the story, shaped by the events of life, contrived from images in the book and cultivated by their own growing love of story.

I was thumbing my way through my academic books today and stumbled upon Margaret Meek's classic book 'Learning to Read' published in 1982. I had the privilege of being able to call Margaret my friend. We caught up at conferences and my family were fortunate to have her stay with us in Wagga Wagga NSW, when she came speak to my students on campus. I also had the opportunity to stay with her in London and gain an insight into the things that shaped her own story. 

There is much wisdom in her well known book 'Learning to Read' that is still as relevant for parents and teachers today as it was 42 years ago. What are the key ingredients in helping children learning to read? In shorthand she would say a book, the attention of one adult (or older child) and shared enjoyment. Margaret wasn't a fan of 'readers', she always wanted to see 'real' books in their hands. So, her four key ingredients or assumptions were:

• First, reading is important and is more than retrieving information.
  
• Second, reading is learned by reading, not a series of exercises.
• Third, just what the young reader gets to read makes all the difference.
•  Fourth, collaboration between an adult, the child and a book is a key to this early reading.

As a parent sits with a book and a three or four-year-old to tell or read a story, she/he is collaborating and helping the child to understand the text.

 

Above: 'Too Many Acorns'

This love of books and 'play' with stories is an essential precursor for the lifetime act of reading, which eventually children learn to do alone. It is also one of the most precious times a parent or grandparent will have with children. 

Teachers can also engage the same way, not with them on your lap, but with them gathered around on a carpet looking with wonder at every page of a book and adding their own comments along the way. One class member says, "Oh, I can see the mouse hiding under the table". Another says, "Look at how many acorns Patrick has now. It's a very big pile!" (From 'Too Many Acorns', by Susannah Crispe). These are just some of the typical comments that young listeners might make as we read them stories.

Early reading is very much a collaboration between teacher, parent and child. It is one of the joys we can experience as we begin to teach our toddlers to read.

Not only will all children love stories, as Margaret Meek reminded us:

"Given encouragement, everyone is a storyteller. Any incident becomes a story in the telling of it, and the next simple step is to write it down." 

A love of reading develops as we read to our children and invite them into a rich world of storytelling, so that from the earliest age, they come to understand that books and their stories, open up new worlds to them, that stir their imaginations and lead them to become story tellers themselves.  

 

"Literature and Storytelling as Exploration & Discovery"

Many people's interest in Literature begins very early in life. But not so for me. Unlike many children, my early life was not in a home where good literature was listened to, read and enjoyed. I came from a disadvantaged home where there very few books. While there was much music, yarns (as Scots call stories) and discussion in our home, there were virtually no books. Literature wasn't part of home life, but storytelling was. It was mainly experienced through Scottish yarns, stories of the Old Country, and popular music; as my parents were entertainers at weekends.

Children Bring Their Lived Experience to Reading

I wanted to do this post because I know that in our schools, there are students with quite diverse backgrounds. The title of the post owes much to Louise Rosenblatt who's book "Literature as Exploration", had a big impact on me as an adult,  after I had become a teacher and later an academic. It was later in life that I discovered the wonder and magic of literature. Rosenblatt argued that readers "project their world into what they read". The "reader seeks to participate in another's vision". An I believe this is so.

But of course, the presence of literature and story varies greatly across families and even cultures. For many children, literature isn't part of home life, but they might experience stories in different ways. In fact children's first experiences of what we know as "literature", might not come for some until school or even in later life. Our backgrounds and life experiences have a significant role in how we see and respond to literature. As Louise Rosenblatt stressed, every reader brings something of themselves and their lived experience to a book.

Key Factors in Helping Children to Embrace Literature

Margaret Meek is another scholar who taught me much about reading and storytelling. Her book "Learning to Read" first published in 1982, identified three basic assumptions about learning to read. She also wrote about the responsibility of others like teachers and parents to support young readers and storytellers. She outlined a number of key assumptions:

1. First, Literature is important

Reading is not simply for acquiring knowledge and literacy competence, it is the "active encounter of one mind and imagination with another". As the reader encounters any book, they bring with them lived experiences that matter, and this helps them to engage with a story, and respond to it in unique ways. It can also change them and their view of the world.

2. Second, reading is Learned by Reading

This might seem obvious, but Meek meant more than having time to read at school and perhaps at home. While children will start by recognizing words, they will quickly see that when words are used together, they reveal many other things. Children don't simply learn through exercises and rote learning of letters and words. They learn as they actually read for purpose, joy and to discover new things.

3. Third, what the reader reads makes a difference

The things children read shape how they see reading; including its purpose, how stories are formed and the 'other worlds' they can introduce to us. And they stimulate the growth of our imaginations. Reading should also trigger deep inner reflection on what we have encountered, and a desire to share this with others.

Further to Margaret Meek's three key points, I have always added a fourth, which looks at how storytelling and reading are related. I think she would agree with addition.

4. Storytelling has an impact on how & why we read and our lives

I include this extra point because it's important to think about how children move from being readers and recipients of stories, to creators of stories. Storytelling shifts children from being consumers of words and the reading of other people's stories, to becoming storytellers themselves.

Let me share a simple anecdote. I was visiting friends in the US late last year. They have two sons (aged 2.5 and 6.5 years old at the time). We went out to dinner with the family and while we were having a great time, the boys became a little restless. I began reading a picture book to the youngest and elaborated on the story by including the boys in the story. I became a bit creative with the story line. The younger brother was enthralled and so was his older brother.

 Above: A storyteller takes the floor!

When I finished my story, the 6 year old jumped up and began to tell his own story rather creatively and dramatically. Everyone listened intently, including us and others at nearby tables.

His own story had a similar story and structure, and he also dramatized it as he shared it with us. We listened intently as he dramatically created and shared his own story. Why do I share this?

This is the type of transformational moment that demonstrates exploration and discovery. Both boys learnt a significant lesson that night. That stories aren't just things to consume or to listen to, they are also things we can create, tell and share. As Margaret Meek taught us: 

"Given encouragement, everyone is a storyteller. Any incident becomes a story in the telling of it, and the next simple step is to write it down" (Meek, 'Learning to Read', 1982).

If you'd like to explore my fourth point on Storytelling you might consider the wonderful book "Children Tell Stories - A Teaching Guide" by Martha Hamilton & Mitch Weiss. 

Summing up

Stories and storytelling are an important part of life. Humans are instinctively listeners to and makers of stories and they love to share them. Why is this so? There are at least 6 key reasons:

• Hearing stories stimulates children's imaginations

• Hearing stories improves their listening skills

• Hearing stories also helps to build a love of reading

• Hearing stories helps children to develop listening skills

• Hearing stories expands  children's vocabulary

• Hearing stories helps to grow young writers, and also helps them over time to become writers as well
  

I might well revisit the thoughts in this post and elaborate on how to encourage children as story tellers in a future post. Happy storytelling. 

  

  

 

 

 

   

The Power of Story to Teach, Enrich and Transform

I want to draw attention to the power of story in this post by discussing my work shared in two separate articles over 10 years ago. In 2013 I wrote an article for the 'International Journal of the Book'. In it I discussed the power of literature not just to offer engaging stories, but to actually "Teach, Enrich and Transform" us. The article was inspired by the work of D.W. Harding (1937, p. 257) who suggested “reading, like daydreaming and gossiping is a means to offer or be offered symbolic representations of life”. I quoted Harding NOT to relegate reading, and specifically literature, to the status of any representation of lived experience (quite the contrary). I'll come back to this.

In the second article that I wrote in 2010, I pointed to the "...folly of Deconstructive Post-modernism, whose most extreme advocates argue that all texts are equal, that the TV advertisement, graffiti, the bumper sticker, the poem, a Twitter ‘tweet’, blog posts, a play and the newspaper editorial are all texts that can have equal value."  

Of course, all 'texts' have meaning and we can learn from them, but they are not "equivalent" or "equal" (but let's not get side-tracked)! Story has a special place. I'm going to share my thoughts in two posts on this topic I will argue that:

 

• The storybook still has an undiminished role to play in early literacy development even in the age of digital literacy.

• Literature has a value well beyond its important utilitarian function as an excellent vehicle for the learning of literacy.

• Reading is acquired in the context of relationships with other significant people.

• Literature has the power to teach, enrich and transform.

I believe that any "civilized society which relegates literature to just one possible means to know and communicate is making a significant mistake" (T.H. Cairney, ’The International Journal of the Book Volume 8, 2010). Why is this a mistake?

Let me share my first two reasons in this post (and two more in the next).

Reason 1 - Literature offers opportunities to reflect on life and see it in new ways

Just as I am affected by human tragedy in my world, I can also be affected by the tragedy of characters in books. In a sense, as we read stories we can 'live through' the events, and experience emotions like joy, success, loneliness, pain,  disappointment and sadness. As a reader we can ‘enter into’ the lives of others through literature and deepen our understanding of life. It can help us to reflect on and understand our lives. And of course, we must never lose sight of the special place literature or story has as a vehicle for learning about written language and the shaping of human character.

I have been motivated to write this paper by a growing concern that in our excitement to consider the possibilities of digital literacy of all kinds, we might just forget about the importance of narrative as a vehicle for learning about written language and the shaping of human character. 

 

Stories "...allow us to reflect on these and other experiences and come to a greater understanding of our world and ourselves. As well, literature can act both as mortar to build rich personal and textual histories, and as a bridge between our lives and the lives of others" (Cairney, 2010).

 

Reason 2 - The undiminished role of Story

 

Children today experience stories in varied forms. They have opportunities to engage in stories by reading, but also through television, radio, online games and a myriad of pictures, images, signs, advertising etc. More than ever, today's readers, are confronted by stories in new forms and through multimedia of varied types. They also write in diverse forms and genres. Perhaps just a few words via emails, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and so on with images and signs to support text. But equally they share stories through music, jokes, symbolic language, movement and so on.

We still enjoy stories, but we use many varied forms, as well as different platforms and devices to receive them like Air pods, headsets etc. Some still read a paper or digital book, while others only ever listen or watch using devices. But there is still a common element; all centre on story!

As parents and teachers we need to engage children in the sharing of stories, delivered via whatever platform. As well, we must encourage them to share stories with others.

In our contemporary literacy world, there is greater interaction between multiple sign systems, particularly print, sound, image, and physical context etc. As I listen to one of my grandsons playing games online like Minecraft, or watch another preparing to lead a game of Dungeons and Dragons with her friends, I'm always struck by how much interaction there is between players as they create live stories on computers while sitting in separate locations. This still is story making and reflects a primary need as humans.

 Having shared the above, I will expand the discussion in the next post by considering two other ways Story has the power to teach, enrich and transform:

• Reading is rarely a lone activity we read within communities.

• Literature teaches, enriches & transforms us.

Sharing the Stories & Songs of Christmas

Storytelling is a central part of what it means to be human. Holidays often create the perfect context for storytelling. They create 'space' to spend time with family and friends in varied contexts, and each offer opportunities to share stories and yarns.  

In Australia, schools have their longest break of about 6 weeks in Dec-Jan as we approach Christmas. This is a time when we also celebrate the birth of Jesus over 2,000 years ago. 

It's a time for holidays, religious observance for some, special food, music and in many cases, the exchange of gifts. Even if you don't have any religious conviction, most people look forward to holiday seasons as a special time to catch up with family and friends. But hopefully many teachers and parents will consider the deeper meaning of Christmas.

1. Sharing story through songs & music

Storytelling, is at the very centre of most Christmas gatherings. And music has a special place in our 'storytelling'. Whether religious or secular, music and storytelling are often intertwined. 

 

As a child, I grew up in a house where music was sung and played often. This included lots of popular ballads, country, blues and pop. When we went for our annual holidays at the Lake Macquarie, singing was never far from our gatherings. On hot summer afternoons at my grandparents’ home at Wangi Wangi we would swim. But after it, we would end up with community singing on the front verandah of my grandparents' house. My father would take his accordion onto the verandah and ask my mother or sister Dianne to sing. Like a magnet, people would emerge from their tents to join in the celebration. At times 50-80 people would come out of their tents and caravans to join us in my grandparents front yard.

Above: My parents performing in a community concert

 

As well, as traditional Christmas carols like "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and "Silent Night" they would sing popular music that usually had a strong sense of story.

2. Some examples of books to share with a Christmas theme

Books about Christian traditions have been the focus of hundreds of different titles some are closely centred on the Christian message, others not so much. But the Bible's account of the baby Jesus born in a manger in a humble barn is at the very centre of Christmas celebrations for many.

'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'.

 

In our schools during the Christmas season, we often share stories with our students that have a Christmas theme. As a teacher I always found time for the sharing of the Christmas story as well as some stories with a 'twist' like the Dr Seuss classic Could the Grinch who hated Christmas 'steal it' so that it couldn't occur? This classic and well known Dr Seuss book, takes a different look at the meaning of Christmas.

 

'The Jolly Christmas Postman' by Janet & Allan Ahlberg

"It's Christmas Eve and the Jolly Postman is delivering greetings to various fairy-tale characters - there's a card for Baby Bear, a game appropriately called 'Beware' for Red Riding Hood from Mr Wolf, a get-well jigsaw for hospitalised Humpty Dumpty and three more surprise envelopes containing letters, cards, etc." 

 

'The Christmas Rose' by Wendy Blaxland & illustrated by Lucy Hennessy

 

This is a beautifully told story that traces elements of the story of the birth of Jesus.

The fields near Bethlehem are filled with great joy when angels appear telling of the birth of a very special baby. Madelon’s uncle, his men, and the magnificent kings riding on camels all have gifts for the Saviour. But Madelon has nothing. What could she possibly give him? This version of the Christmas story uses the efforts of a small child to follow others to see the Christ Child. A beautiful illustration of those who would spend great effort to come and adore Him.

The rich and evocative oil paintings by fine artist Lucy Hennessy are stunning and in their muted softness leaves the reader to imagine the scene in all of its mystery and richness.

'The Christmas Promise' by Alison Mitchell and illustrated by Catalina Echeverri

This wonderful retelling of the Christmas story is brought to us by the highly successful team that has brought us a whole series of children's stories based on the Bible. It tells of how God kept His promise to send a new King.

A long, long time ago so long that it's hard to imagine God promised a new King. He wasn't any ordinary king, like the ones we see on TV or in books. He would be different. He would be a new King; a rescuing King; a forever King! 

I love the books in this series titled "Tell the Truth". Like all of the books in the series, it tells the Christmas story in a simple way that children can grasp, while remaining true to the Bible's narrative. The book will help preschool children discover how the Bible explains how God kept His Christmas Promise.

The wonderful illustrations by Catalina Echeverri are also faithful and consistent with the Bible-centered story-telling of Alison Mitchell. Together, they make this a book that both parents and children will love.

'The Nativity' by Julie Vivas is a wonderful book. The story is close to the Bible narrative and the illustrations as you'd expect from Julie Vivas are superb.

'The Christmas Book', written and illustrated by Dick Bruna. Bruna's delightful and simple telling of the nativity story is special. He manages to tell the greatest story ever told with his typical simplicity. This one is suitable even for preschool children.

'Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale' by Martin Waddell & illustrated by Jason Cockcroft

That cold winter's night, 
beneath the star's light... 
...a Little One came for the world. 

First kind Ox welcomes Old Dog, then Stray Cat, Small Mouse, Tired Donkey, and finally the baby Jesus into his stable on the first Christmas night. Delightful story that tells of the momentous event.

'A Baby Born in Bethlehem', Martha Whitmore Hickman's retelling is based on the gospels of Luke and Matthew. It begins with the revelation to Mary that she will have a child who will be the son of God and ends with the visit of the Wise Men. The text emphasizes the joy of Jesus' birth. Giulliano Ferri's pencil and watercolour illustrations contribute to making this a great book for four to eight year olds.

'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever' by Barbara Robinsion . This book tells the story of how one of the "worst Kids" in the world finds out about the real Christmas story for the first time as he takes part in the church Christmas pageant. The story itself is very funny but it also manages to communicate the Christian message accurately.

'The Baby Who Changed the World' by Sheryl Ann Crawford, Sonya Wilson (Illustrator). In this imaginative retelling of the Christmas story, the animals get together and discuss the approaching arrival of a new baby that some say will grow up to be a strong and powerful King. When Mary and Joseph enter the picture and the events of the true Christmas story unfold!

'The Christmas Story: According to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke from the King James Version' by Gennadii Spirin (Illustrator). This telling of the Christmas story begins with Mary's meeting with the angel Gabriel then proceeds to the birth of baby Jesus in a stable, the visit of the shepherds and the three wise men. Spirin's Orthodox Christian faith is reflected in the wonderful art that makes this a special retelling of the story of Jesus (although not all will find the images match their idea of what Jesus might have looked like).

 

3. Sharing family anecdotes & stories that enrich children's knowledge of the past (BUT avoid controversial topics!).

Another wonderful thing about holiday seasons is that you have time to sit with our children and share the events of the year, and perhaps those we shared with family and friends in years past. "Can you remember the time when we egged Mr Smith's car"? These build children's knowledge of the family and the world, as well as their own ability to share stories. "Tell us the story about the time you got lost in the bush Dad". 

 

"What was it like going to school when you were a kid Mum?" "What was the funniest thing that happened at school this year"? "Tell us another story Grandad from when you were a kid". As you share your own stories as parents, you help to build family traditions, as well as teaching them how to tell stories themselves.

4. Engage your children in preparations 

Having time to do things with your children as you prepare for a time like Christmas will often create those 'spaces' where things can be shared as we make the preparations. Get your children to help decorate the Christmas tree. This isn't just for fun or to fill in time, it allows space and time to share stories and for your children to become better storytellers themselves. 

 

In the case of parents, you might share stories of the type "I remember when...". "Do you know where this Christmas decoration came from?" "Do you remember when you made this silver star"? Or perhaps, while you're getting your children to help make some decorations you can simply share jokes and anecdotes, or reminisce. 

 

A special time in our home is decorating the tree each year with decorations that our children made over 30 years ago! Looking at precious decorations is a great story telling event. "Do you remember who made this?" "Did you know that this decoration was on my mother's tree". Stories will flow!

5. Get children involved in using 'procedural texts'

One of our family's most treasured traditions is the making of the Christmas pudding. As a child, my grandparents involved my sister and me in this activity. This was always one of our special family events at Christmas. I implemented the same tradition with my daughters, and more recently, my grandchildren. As well as the fun we have as we prepare for the cooking, we have to follow the recipe, share stories, and lick the bowls. This is a great language event as stories and anecdotes just flow.

6. Involve your children in the making of presents, cards and gifts

Some of my favourite presents as a parent have been the gifts that my children and grandchildren made for me. It's fun to involve children as we make preparations for the exchange of gifts. This might be making yummy food, lollies or snacks to share with neighbours. Once again, there are recipes to follow, stories to tell, gift labels to write, and much more. Card making is just one fun non-food way to link literacy activities to holiday seasons. As well, children might make a book to give to their grandparents or their teacher. Making items for family and friends to hang on their tree is a great literacy activity already mentioned above.

Summing up

Literacy and storytelling are implicated in pretty much all aspects of life. Holiday seasons are just one context that offer opportunities to ground storytelling in 'real' life. As we engage with our children every day, there are numerous ways that the stories we share can help to build their knowledge and their proficiency as users of language whether in spoken or written form. As well, we can develop a shared history that binds family members together.

Six Ways Storytelling Can Enrich the Holiday Season

Storytelling is such a central part of what it is to be human, that when any group of people gather they will end up telling stories. Holidays often create the perfect context for storytelling. In Australia, we've just finished celebrating Christmas. Of course, for some families, different religious or secular holidays may be celebrated across the year. These often coincide with holidays, religious observance, special food, music and in some cases, the exchange of gifts. Even if you don't have any religious convictions, you might well look forward to holiday seasons as a special time to catch up with family and friends. This inevitably leads to storytelling as we gather.

Let me share six ways that storytelling can enrich family time together during holiday times like Christmas.

1. Establish some traditions with reading

Our family has just finished celebrating Christmas. Like some other families, it is a time of significance for your family, as we attend church services and gatherings with family and friends. In the lead up to this event we would often share some books that centre on the central Christian message of Christmas. Books about Christian traditions have been shared in hundreds of different titles some are closely centred on the Christian message, others not so much (I shared lot of these books in my last post HERE). In classes that I taught I always found time for the Dr Seuss classic "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and many others. A story that centres on the theme that Christmas at its very core is about a special gift. Not so much about getting, but giving.

2. Sharing story through songs & music

Holiday time is often a time for music, and with this 'story'. We often overlook the key role that music plays in storytelling. Whether we are talking about religious songs or music in general, music and story are often intertwined. When people celebrate together, it often ends in music and song. As a child, I grew up in a house where music was sung and played often. This included lots of popular ballads, country, blues and pop. As well, as singing Christmas carols when we went for our annual holidays at the Lake Macquarie, on many a hot summer afternoon we ended up singing. At my grandparents’ home at Wangi Wangi, on a hot afternoon after a swim, we would end up with community singing on the front verandah of their house. At times 50-80 people would come out of their tents to join us on my grandparents front verandah. My parents would end up performing and leading the campers as they joined in.

Above: My parents performing at the time in a community concert

 

 

3. Sharing family anecdotes (but avoiding the controversial family ones)

Another wonderful thing about holiday seasons is that you have time to sit with our children and share "can you remember the time that..." stories. These build children's knowledge of the family and the world, as well as their own ability to share stories. "Tell us the story about the time you got lost in the bush Dad". "What was it like going to school when you were a kid Mum?" "What was the funniest thing that happened at school this year"? "Tell us another story Grandad from when you were a kid". As you share your own stories as parents, you help to build family traditions, as well as teaching them how to tell stories themselves.

4. Engage your children in preparations 

Having time to do things with your children as you prepare for a time like Christmas will often create those 'spaces' where things can be shared as we make the preparations. Taking them shopping isn't what I have in mind (this often doesn't end well!). I was thinking more about getting your children to help you to decorate the Christmas tree, or the family room. This isn't just for fun or to fill in time. It does do this, but it allows space and time to share stories and for your children to become better storytellers themselves. In the case of parents, you might share stories of the type "I remember when...". "Do you know where this Christmas decoration came from?" "Do you remember when you made this silver star"? Or perhaps, while you're getting your children to help make some decorations you can simply share jokes and anecdotes, or reminisce. One of the most special times at our house, is decorating the tree each year with decorations that our children made over 30 years ago! Just looking at precious decorations given to us by other people as gifts is a great language and story telling event. "Do you remember who made this?" "Did you know that this decoration was on my mother's tree". Stories will flow!

5. Get children involved in using 'procedural texts'

Above: Preparing a pudding with my granddaughter

One of our family's most treasured traditions is the making of the Christmas pudding.  As a child, my grandparents involved my sister and me in this activity. This was always one of our special family events at Christmas. I implemented the same tradition with my daughters, and more recently, my grandchildren. As well as the fun we have as we prepare for the cooking, we have to follow the recipe, share stories, and lick the bowls. This is a great language event as stories and anecdotes just flow. As we cook, literacy is also being acquired. And of course, the stories shared while we make the pudding become part of shared family history. "Tell us again Dad about the time you...".

Above: The 2018 boiled Christmas pudding cooked with my daughter Louise

6. Involve your children in the making of presents, cards and gifts

Some of my favourite presents as a parent have been the gifts that children made for me. It is fun to involve your children as we make preparations for the exchange of gifts. This might be making yummy food, lollies or snacks to share with neighbours. Once again, there are recipes to follow, stories to tell, gift labels to write, and much more. Card making is just one fun non-food way to link literacy activities to holiday seasons. As well, children might make a book to give to their grandparents or their teacher. Making items for family and friends to hang on their tree is a great literacy activity already mentioned above.

Summing up

Literacy and storytelling are implicated in pretty much all aspects of life. Holiday seasons are just one context that offer opportunities to ground storytelling in 'real' life. As we engage with our children every day, there are numerous ways that the stories we share can help to build their knowledge and their proficiency as users of language whether in spoken or written form. As well, we can develop a shared history that binds family members together.

Growing Children's Imagination & Creativity

Above: Relaxing in her cardboard cubby (Lydia age 4)

Children begin very early in life to imaginatively recreate story, experiences, life situations and ideas deep within. The human capacity to tell and recreate story is strong and is seen very early in life. This should not surprise us because imagination, creativity and story telling is basic to life, and together, distinguish us from all other creatures.

My youngest granddaughter Lydia has been fascinated by story since her first year of life. As a three year old she would use objects of every kind to create stories. Two lettuce leaves became two butterflies, the central characters in her mealtime story. Not all of her stories are retellings of known stories, in fact many are original innovative stories that she crafts using stimuli in her environment. Story for Lydia can also be stimulated by television (e.g. 'Everything's Rosie', 'Charlie and Lola', 'In the Night Garden'), books and all of life's everyday experiences.

The cardboard cubby above was created to her specifications from a box that our new washing machine came in. "I'll have the door here", "the window there". "Can I have a chimney please", and a "one on the roof". "A skylight I asked?". "Yes, of course!"

Imaginative play and storytelling are essential parts of learning. In previous posts I've called this re-creation (i.e. the reconstruction, presentation or retelling of a story in new ways), but it takes many forms.

Above: The fully furnished cubby

Story in its own right is critical to learning, communication and well-being. This is something that I've written about many times (for example HERE & HERE). For children, the re-creation or reliving of a story is a critical part of their growing knowledge of narrative as well as a way to gain knowledge.

Young children often quite naturally use imaginative storytelling to support and play with known stories or varied life situations and experiences:

Above: Beans become tusks for the walrus!

• Changing rhymes and songs, e.g. 'Baa Baa Black Sheep' to 'Baa Baa White Sheep' as Lydia does often.
  Acting out 'Little Red Riding Hood' with the resources of the dress-up box and some friends.
• Dramatizing a well-known children's song from television or CD or a children's picture book.
• Using art or drawing to imagine a story character, mythical creature or story setting. 
• Using Lego (or other toys, props and objects) to re-imagine story alone or with others.
• Creating something new that grows out of an experience of story. 

 Here are a few examples of how this can be encouraged at varied ages.

Examples of Imaginative Re-creation by Age Group

a) Toddlers (1-3 years)

• Being encouraged to be a wild thing as the story 'Where the Wild Things Are' reaches the critical moment when Max declares 'Let the wild rumpus start'.
• Finger Plays and rhymes ('This Little Piggy', 'Incy Wincy', 'Round and Round the Garden') 
• Retelling Thomas the Tank Engine stories using the various engines that feature in the story.
• Using dolls or soft toys to act out domestic scenarios.
  Using dress-up clothes in association with well-known stories.
• Creating a story using toy soldiers, Polly Pocket toys, magnetic boards with characters, fuzzy felt and so on.
• Joining in the television dramatization of a well-known story on a program like 'Playschool'. 

b) Early years (4-6 years)

• Many of the better story apps for iPad or android devices are an innovative way for multiple re-created experiences of stories (see my recent post on this HERE).
• Drawing maps, key characters (dragons, people) or scenes.
• Acting out stories with a group of children or with adult family members.
• Creating an adapted text to re-create part of a story (e.g. poetry, a character interview, telling the story from a different point of view).
• Using puppets to re-create a story.
• Using modelling clay or craft materials to create characters to re-create and retell a story.

Creating knights for storytelling

c) Later childhood (7-12 years)

• More elaborate dramatization, with involvement in making props and costumes.
• Simple animations using one of the programs readily available (see my previous post on animation HERE). 
• Using materials like Lego to re-imagine a well-known story.
• Creating a board game that recreates the plot or a specific part of a story (as Sam did).
• Creating a complex map or plot summary as a device for others to use.
• Create a script to be acted for a specific part of a story.
• Write a newspaper report based on an event within a story.
• Use a variety of written genres to create a new text ('The Jolly Postman' and 'The Jolly Pocket Postman' are published examples of this).

These are just some of the ways that storytelling and imaginative re-creation can stimulate learning and language.

Imaginative Recreation, Storytelling & Creativity

Above: Relaxing in her cardboard cubby (Lydia age 4)

From a very early age, children begin in varied play situations to experiment with story using the springboard of literature, song, film or even real-life accounts. My youngest granddaughter Lydia has been fascinated by story since her first year of life. Last time I wrote how as a three year old she would use objects of every kind to create stories. Two lettuce leaves became two butterflies, the central characters in her mealtime story. She still uses dolls, plastic animals, Thomas trains, toys and objects of all kinds (like her knife & fork!) to tell stories. Not all of her stories are retellings of known stories, in fact many are original innovative stories that she crafts using stimuli in her environment. Story for Lydia can also be stimulated by television (e.g. 'Everything's Rosie', 'Charlie and Lola', 'In the Night Garden'), books and all of life's everyday experiences.

The cardboard cubby was created to her specifications from a box that our new washing machine came in. "I'll have the door here", "the window there". "Can I have a chimney please", and a "one on the roof". "A skylight I asked?". "Yes, of course!"

Imaginative play and storytelling are essential parts of learning. In previous posts I've called this re-creation (i.e. the reconstruction, presentation or retelling of a story in new ways), but it takes many forms.

Above: The fully furnished cubby

Story in its own right is critical to learning, communication and well-being. This is something that I've written about many times (for example HERE & HERE). For children, the re-creation or reliving of a story is a critical part of their growing knowledge of narrative as well as a way to gain knowledge.

Young children often quite naturally use imaginative storytelling to support and play with known stories or varied life situations and experiences:

Above: Beans become tusks for the walrus!

• Changing rhymes and songs, e.g. 'Baa Baa Black Sheep' to 'Baa Baa White Sheep' as Lydia does often.
  Acting out 'Little Red Riding Hood' with the resources of the dress-up box and some friends.
• Dramatizing a well-known children's song from television or CD or a children's picture book.
• Using art or drawing to imagine a story character, mythical creature or story setting. 
• Using Lego (or other toys, props and objects) to re-imagine story alone or with others.
• Creating something new that grows out of an experience of story.

Storytelling and imaginative re-creation are powerful learning strategies for children that stretches them as language users and learners. Below are a few examples of how this can be encouraged ate varied ages.

Examples of Imaginative Re-creation by Age Group

a) Toddlers (1-3 years)

• Being encouraged to be a wild thing as the story 'Where the Wild Things Are' reaches the critical moment when Max declares 'Let the wild rumpus start'.
• Finger Plays and rhymes ('This Little Piggy', 'Incy Wincy', 'Round and Round the Garden')
• Retelling Thomas the Tank Engine stories using the various engines that feature in the story.
• Using dolls or soft toys to act out domestic scenarios.
  Using dress-up clothes in association with well-known stories.
• Creating a story using toy soldiers, Polly Pocket toys, magnetic boards with characters, fuzzy felt and so on.
• Joining in the television dramatization of a well-known story on a program like 'Playschool'.

b) Early years (4-6 years)

• Many of the better story apps for iPad or android devices are an innovative way for multiple re-created experiences of stories (see my recent post on this HERE).
• Drawing maps, key characters (dragons, people) or scenes.
• Acting out stories with a group of children or with adult family members.
• Creating an adapted text to re-create part of a story (e.g. poetry, a character interview, telling the story from a different point of view).
• Using puppets to re-create a story.
• Using modelling clay or craft materials to create characters to re-create and retell a story.

Creating knights for storytelling

c) Later childhood (7-12 years)

• More elaborate dramatization, with involvement in making props and costumes.
• Simple animations using one of the programs readily available (see my previous post on animation HERE).
• Using materials like Lego to re-imagine a well-known story.
• Creating a board game that recreates the plot or a specific part of a story (as Sam did).
• Creating a complex map or plot summary as a device for others to use.
• Create a script to be acted for a specific part of a story.
• Write a newspaper report based on an event within a story.
• Use a variety of written genres to create a new text ('The Jolly Postman' and 'The Jolly Pocket Postman' are published examples of this).

These are just some of the ways that storytelling and imaginative re-creation can stimulate learning and language.