I am super excited to let my community know that I have created my first ONLINE course. And guess what?! It is on puppetry. If it is a topic you find interesting, especially teaching with puppets, check this out. I promise you will learn a lot from this course, as this is the result of my 20 years of practice of telling stories and teaching young children, inspiring pre-service educators.
Tag: storytelling
Julia Kristeva: Play as a place for belonging
Julia Kristeva, a thinker from Bulgaria and France, explored how people understand themselves and others, especially through language, culture, and emotions.
Julia Kristeva is a Bulgarian-French philosopher, literary critic, psychoanalyst, and feminist theorist, born on June 24, 1941, in Sliven, Bulgaria. She is renowned for her interdisciplinary approach, which integrates elements from linguistics, literary theory, psychoanalysis, and feminist theory. As early childhood professionals, we can learn a thing or two from this prominent philosopher.
One big idea she had was called “abjection.” It’s about how we react when we come across things that challenge our sense of who we are. These things could be gross or scary, like bodily fluids or decay. Abjection is like a feeling of discomfort or disgust we get when faced with these things. Kristeva explored this concept in her book “Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection” (1980). This concept examines how individuals react to experiences that threaten their sense of identity, such as encounters with bodily fluids, decay, or the maternal body. Abjection represents the space where the boundaries between the self and the other become blurred, leading to feelings of horror, disgust, and fascination. By recognising the role of abjection in shaping perceptions of identity and difference, early childhood educators can foster inclusive practices that value and celebrate diversity. Understanding how abjection operates can help educators create environments that validate children’s experiences and promote empathy and understanding among peers. It is a very significant concept for inclusion.
In the early years of life, Kristeva’s ideas can help us understand children’s emotions. They can also guide us in making classrooms where every child feels included and valued. Kristeva also talked about “concepts subjects-in-process.” This means that people are always changing and growing based on their experiences. This is certainly applicable to our understanding of children, childhood and even play.
She also talked about “the foreigner,” a person who is different from us, but this can also be described as a lens for reflection. By learning from people who are different, we can learn more about ourselves and our world.
Kristeva’s ideas remind us to be open-minded, to understand our emotions, to embrace diversity, and to create spaces where children feel like they belong. I think it promotes reflective teaching as well. What do you think?
DYI Felt Board
Today, we’re diving into the wonderful world of felt boards and exploring how they can transform storytelling for young children. Felt boards are engaging, versatile tools that can spark creativity, boost learning, and make storytelling come alive!
Making your felt board
Making a felt board is a breeze. You’ll need some felt or flannel fabric, a picture frame, and some staples or glue. Simply cut the felt to fit the frame size, secure it in place, and voila – your felt board is ready for storytelling. I buy felt in Spotlight, but you can also get some cheaper offcuts in the opportunity shops – as second-hand stores are called in Australia.
For an extra touch, use markers, stickers, or construction paper to create fun felt cutouts of various shapes and characters. You can also download cool stories on Etsy.
Tales with Felt
Now comes the magic part: using your felt board to weave captivating stories. Here’s how:
- Introduce your felt characters and set the scene by placing them on the board.
- As your story unfolds, move the felt cutouts around to illustrate the action. This visual element keeps young minds engaged and following along.
- Felt boards are fantastic for incorporating songs and fingerplays into your storytelling sessions.
Storytime Example: Five Little Speckled Frogs
Let’s use the classic song “Five Little Speckled Frogs” to illustrate the storytelling magic of felt boards. Here are the felt cutouts you’ll need:
- A tree
- Leaves
- Bushes
- Rocks
- Mushrooms
- Five frogs (of course!)
Sing the first verse and place all five frogs on the felt board. As you sing about the frogs jumping in the pool, one by one, remove the corresponding frog cutouts. When all the frogs have made their splash, sing the final verse.
The Power of Felt Board Storytelling
Felt boards are important tools of early childhood education for a reason.
- They grab children’s attention and keep them actively involved in the story.
- Felt boards can be used to teach children about counting, colours, shapes, and letters in a fun and interactive way.
- They foster storytelling and language development, allowing children to explore their creativity and express themselves.
- Felt boards are portable and easy to make, perfect for teachers, parents, and caregivers to use at home, in classrooms, or anywhere! I always have a felt board when I teach the class.
Happy crafting and storytelling,
Rhythm Sticks ideas: all in one place
Video tutorials
Rhythm sticks for preschool circle time
Copy the rhythm game
Happy birthday to you song with the rhythm sticks
Guess the song game
Unexpected way to use the rhythm sticks
Tap your name game
Tap your name
Top Storytelling techniques for early childhood classrooms
Storytelling is a powerful tool for early childhood educators. It can help children to develop their imagination, creativity, and language skills. It can also teach them about different cultures, values and concepts. It evokes emotional response and simply one of the best tools teachers can use. The only problem we get stuck in the rut and don’t use a variety of storytelling techniques… While reading a book is fun, let’s try something new today!
Here are 10 storytelling techniques that you I use in my early childhood practice:
- Use puppets. Puppets are a great way to engage children’s attention and to bring stories to life. You can use puppets to tell traditional stories or to create your own stories. Think of finger puppets; hand puppets; paper puppets, puppets on a stick; shadow puppets.
- Use drama. Drama is a fun and active way to tell stories. You can have children act out stories as whole groups, small groups, or individually. My favourite stories are 3 little pigs; great big turnip; we are going on a bear hunt; stone soup.
- Use Steiner props. Steiner props are simple objects that can be used to represent different characters, settings, and events in stories. Some examples of Steiner props include scarves, dress-up clothes, and real objects such as stones, sticks, and leaves.
- Use real objects. Real objects can be used to create a more realistic and engaging storytelling experience for children. For example, you could use a pot, carrots, and potatoes to tell the story of Stone Soup.
- Use music. Music can be used to enhance the storytelling experience. You can play instrumental music in the background while you tell a story, or you can have children sing songs or play instruments along with the story. I love to sing stories like “there was a princess long ago, long ago”; puff the magic dragon etc.
- Use visual aids. Visual aids such as pictures, drawings, and maps can help children to understand and follow stories. You can also use visual aids to create a more immersive storytelling experience. My friend tells stories during rest times and children love to contribute.
- Use sound stories. Sound stories are stories that are told using only sound effects and music. Sound stories can be a great way to engage children’s imaginations and to create a sense of suspense and excitement. I love ABC radio kids , but there are tons of audio stories you can listen to and recreate in your group.
- Use felt boards. Felt boards are a versatile storytelling tool. You can use felt boards to tell stories, to create scenes, and to play games.
- Use props. Props can be used to make storytelling more engaging and interactive for children. You can use props to represent different characters, settings, and events in stories. For example, have a box of dress ups with fairy wings; Witcher hats; animal tales and other dress ups to encourage children create their own stories.
- Use your voice. Your voice is one of your most powerful storytelling tools. You can use your voice to create different moods and atmospheres, and to bring characters to life. This one is the most accessible too. Model famous storytellers online to learn how to create suspense and anticipation.
Here are some tips for using these storytelling techniques in your early childhood classroom:
- Choose stories that are appropriate for the age and interests of your children.
- Be creative and have fun with it! Storytelling should be an enjoyable experience for both you and your children.
- Encourage children to participate in the storytelling process. They can help you to choose stories, to act out scenes, and to come up with ideas for props and costumes. They can also add to the story or create a different ending.
- Use storytelling to teach children about different cultures and values. My favourite book is fairy tales around the world, which has a lot of stories that are less known.
- Most importantly, make sure that storytelling is a regular part of your classroom routine. Children love stories, and they will benefit from hearing stories on a daily basis.