I found several interesting points in this article. Darfur has been close to my heart for a long time. It is heart-wrenching to think that these things go on everyday while I am eating at McDonalds! Oh well, no soapboxes today.
The first thing I noticed was that the boys transformed their traditional storytelling into something new and relevant for their new surroundings and situation. They have a uniquely important job: writing their stories down to allow others (who can't get to "hear" them) to know their plight and the plight of Sudan. Even in the camp, some of the children's works were published to generate international interest for Sudan. How powerful is literacy, written or oral!
Second, I found it interesting that they believed education and literacy would improve their lives and their country's. How many American children seem to care about the free education they have access to?!
Third, I loved the description of why we tell stories. To paraphrase, we tell stories to remember, instill culture, soothe, empathize, inspire, speculate, dispute, tattle, evaluate, shame, tease, entertain, and so on. I loved this! It was like a teacher poster you would see hanging on a classroom wall. I also underlined "Storytelling is a powerful form of sensemaking." Children learn so much from adults and each other through the stories they hear and tell. They learn to navigate the world. They learn tolerance and prejudice, right and wrong.
Fourth, I found it interesting that research about story telling and literacy learning has mainly been conducted on young children (preK-2). In first grade, we do lots of story telling with puppets, author's chair, reader's chair, readers' theater, share time, etc. Every morning, we start with journaling. When the students come in and try to tell me what they did the night before, I say, "tell me in your journal, tell me with your pencil." I try to encourage them to talk with their pencil. I give them lots of opportunities to talk to me throughout the rest of the day.
I think there can be a direct link between storytelling and writing and reading. Teachers can find creative ways to link the two if they only look. As listed above, there are some for young children that can be adapted for older children.
Christy Findley
Comments (4)
Christy-
I am really glad you mentioned your experiences with your kids trying to tell you about what their journal topic is about rather than getting excited about actually writing it down. My seventh graders are the exact same way. I always have a journal topic on the board for them to complete right after the bell rings. First of all, since my kids struggle with reading, I have to read the journal prompts to them most of the time. However, it never fails. I always have a kid answer the journal prompt outloud before he/she even begins to write. I honestly thought that it was a way of trying to get out of writing since my students obviously struggle with it, but now that I think about it I really think they just like sharing things outloud and maybe we don't give them enough opportunity to do so. I am sure for some students - telling me something is a way to avoid writing, but for others I really think they are just oral speakers. That is one thing I am going to encourage more next year in my resource class. I am going to make guidelines to where they cannot talk during journal time, but they can talk all the want to tell share with the class what they wrote after I have given them enough time to complete their assignment. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Katy Dellinger
Posted by Katy Dellinger | June 16, 2010 7:30 PM
Posted on June 16, 2010 19:30
Christy,
I really liked the comment you made about telling your students to "tell the story with your pencil." I have the same problem, every morning, I have a million kids at my desk telling me what they did the night before. I think it's a great idea to have them write about it in a journal. Then, maybe not to lose the art of storytelling, we could have each child share their story they wrote with the class before we begin instruction. I think students need to be given the opportunity to share thoughts and feelings about their culture and lives. I am so guilty of giving my students a writing prompt to write about each day (which really restricts what students might want to write about). Next year, I may try your morning journal writing idea (along with my writing prompts) so they will have more of an opportunity to express themselves.
~Jamie Brackett
Posted by Jamie Brackett | June 17, 2010 10:01 AM
Posted on June 17, 2010 10:01
It is hard to imagine all the awful things that happen in the world while we are eating out, going shopping, etc. As I read this article I kept thinking how students and parents take education here in the United States so for granted. School for many is nothing more than a place to send their kids, free at that, so they can do what they want to! While so many who do not have any opportunities would walk 1,00 miles, facing countless dangers, just to get to a safe place. Then they go on to learn to read and write, looking for a better life for them and their country. It is a reproach on those who do not value what they have.
I love how you tell your students to tell you with their pencils in their journal. I have my students keep a journal but it is often like pulling teeth. “I don’t know what to write,” I hear this so much I could cry! I have started keeping a box of ideas in front of the room so is they need an idea they know were to get one. I agree that this is a great way to link reading, writing, and storytelling.
Posted by Tracy Icenhour | June 17, 2010 11:12 AM
Posted on June 17, 2010 11:12
Do you find it hard to get your children to open up their journals and begin writing about the night before? As a Kindergarten teacher I find that my children are constantly wanting to tell the same story over and over about something they have done. Next year we have a SET schedule for when to do things and it is going to be monitiored by our principal. How do we find time for our children to be creative in their writing when our new schedule is so mantated.. Do you have any suggestions for how I can use your great "tell me through your pencil" idea in my kindergarten classroom from the beginning of the year? I love the pencil idea. Thank you!
Meredith
Posted by Meredith Bromley | June 21, 2010 9:35 AM
Posted on June 21, 2010 09:35