PEFaL Children’s Programme Development

Session: Module 4 Week 8 Focus: Writing and Play Parents / Children: Separate

Session Making Our Own Stories

8.1

General Developing Creativity and imagination

Objectives Associating books, storytelling and reading with fun
Revising and consolidating skills targeted by the programme

Development Targets Resources

2.25 p.m. Food, toilets, change • Preparation for session • Food
• Sanitary facilities
20 • T-shirt put on
minutes

2.45 p.m. Transition Activity/Activities1:

15 Energiser: Noises Off Oracy: • Open, clear space

minutes • Articulating sounds • Screen
• One child or a small group of children go • Paper and pencils
behind a screen. Motor:
• This screen can be a curtain or any other • Physical movement
object that the children can hide behind – accompanying noise
they can even go under a table! • Body awareness
• The child or children decided upon a noise
or noises to make (e.g. drinking soup

1
Focus on energiser.
 through a straw, walking through thick mud, PSD / Social:
etc.). • Guessing and evaluating
• The noise must be a noise we hear in the • Giving opinions and feedback
real world, but the child / children must • Turn taking
make it sound as weird and wonderful as • Group skills
possible to make the other children curious. • Having fun
• The remaining children who are hearing
this sound have to individually write down
suggestions trying to guess what they think
the noises are.
• These suggestions can be as creative as
the child can think of.
• After everybody has written down their
guesses, the other children come out from
behind the screen.
• The others share their thoughts with the
whole group.
• After the children have tried to guess what
the noise was, the children who made the
noise can tell them if anybody guessed and
if not give them the correct answer.
• This game continues until everyone has
had a turn at making a strange noise.

3.00 p.m. Circle Time • Cooling down activity • Cushions or other

• Introductory discussion seating
5 minutes • Recalling what was done
during the previous session
• Instruction giving
3.05 p.m. Big Group Activity2:

40 Storytelling Oracy: • Open, clear space

minutes • Listening • Watch (for the tutor
• The tutor explains that today, the children • Talking about ideas to time the activity)
will be sharing parts of their favourite stories • Giving opinions and feedback • Musical instruments
with each other. • Answering questions • Household objects
• The tutor also tells the children that the • Talking about past / present/ that can produce a
stories that they will be telling each other future sound / noise (e.g.
are the ones that the children have chosen • Joining in the story empty bottles or
with their parents to be included in the story • Role playing and empathising tins, wooden
sack. spoons, spoons,
• Guessing and extrapolating
• Predicting sequence of plastic buckets etc.)
• All the children sit in a circle. • Different puppets
events
• In the middle of the circle there is a variety • Different masks
• Retrieving and conveying
of objects that can produce a sound; • Different clothes
messages
musical instruments can also be used but • Face paint
allow children to use different everyday • Other props (if
Motor:
objects to produce new sounds. desired)
• Physical action and role
• In the middle there are also other • Chairs, tables,
playing
storytelling props such as puppets, masks, cushions and other
• Manipulating and using
face paint and dressing up clothes to be elevated surfaces (if
materials – using props and
used as costumes. the ‘high tide, low
objects, dressing up, playing
instruments etc. tide’ technique is
• The tutor chooses a child to be the first going to be used)
‘storyteller’.
Reading:
2
Step-by-step development
• The ‘storyteller’ must think hard of one • Recollecting and using words
scene or event in the story or book of his during role play that were
/ her choice that he /she likes very much. previously read at home
• The tutor explains to the ‘storyteller’ that • Retelling and animating story
he / she can only tell the others this part • Knowing part/s of story by
of the story to make them curious about heart
the story that he /she chose. • Guessing next word/s that
will be used in the story
• This child starts telling his /her part of the • Showing interest and asking
story chosen to be included in the story to read stories role played by
sack. others
• The tutor can be the first ‘storyteller’ if
children find it difficult to start a storytelling Writing:
by themselves. • None associated with this
activity
• The first child starts the story, but he / she
does not tell the others the name of the PSD / Developmental:
story – this they must guess themselves at • Listening and sharing
the end of the storytelling activity. • Developing of self
• Developing discussion skills
• At any point in the story, the ‘storyteller’ can • Turn taking
use any object or musical instrument to • Developing communication
introduce a relevant ‘sound effect’ using the skills
instruments / objects or even their own
• Developing empathy and
voice.
dealing with other actions /
• The ‘storyteller’ can also use costumes or feelings through role playing
puppets or masks or face paint to make the
• Predicting sequence of
storytelling experience more fun.
events
• In order for the other children not to get • Talking about experiences
bored just listening to the story, the • Developing group skills
‘storyteller’ can include other children at • Observing others
different parts of the story. • Interacting with others
• The ‘storyteller’ can make other children
help him with the sound effects, or dress
them up in costumes or masks or put face
paint on them, or use the puppets to help
him / her animate the story.

• Another technique that can be used during

storytelling is the ‘high tide, low tide
technique’.
• This technique does not need a lot of props
to be done, however there must be some
areas or objects that help children to get up
on them and off the ground (e.g. chairs,
cushions etc.).
• Using this technique, the ‘storyteller’ leads
the game.
• He / she start telling the story while the
other children mime what the ‘storyteller’ is
saying, individually or in groups.
• From time to time, the ‘storyteller’ says the
words ‘high tide’ or ‘low tide’.
• At ‘high tide’ everybody must get their feet
and all other parts of their body out of
contact with the ground (crouched on chairs,
sitting on tables, etc.).
 • At ‘low tide’ everybody must lie own on the
floor.
• For obvious reasons, this technique cannot
be adapted to all sorts of stories but can
work out with stories where there is
suspense or a theme of survival.

• After the first storyteller finishes his / her

story, the other players try to guess the title
of the story or at least what it is about.
• If they don’t manage, the ‘storyteller’ tells
them the title of the book.
• Then, the other children take their turn
telling their own story.

Important note:
1) It is important that the tutor allocates definite
time limits for the children to mime their
story – the storytelling time allocated to
each child should NOT exceed 7 minutes
(approximately). The tutor should keep a
close eye on timing and inform the children
when they are nearing their time limit.
2) It is also important that this activity be
completed over two sessions since it would
be impossible for all children to mime their
story in just one time – apart from the fact
that this could make the session quite
boring.
3.45 p.m. Small Group Activity:

25 Making an artifact Oracy: • Writing materials

minutes • Interacting in a mixed group • Drawing and
• When half of the children have • Recalling past information colouring materials
performed their storytelling activity, the • Talking about past / present / • Craft materials
tutor ends the Big Group session and future events (glue, scissors,
tells the remaining children that they can • Listening and turn taking coloured paper,
do their mime next time. • Sharing and discussing ideas string, butterfly pins,
• The tutor goes on to explain what the • Expressing oneself creatively etc.)
children are going to do next. • Sharing opinions and taking
about activity
• The tutor asks the children to think hard • Discussing rules
about what their favourite fun practical /
• Discussing possibilities and
craft activity from the programme has
alternatives
been so far – making masks, making
games, making puppets, playing
Motor:
instruments etc.
• Manipulation of craft
• After hearing the children’s answers, the
materials (drawing, scissor
tutor explains to the children what their
handling, co-ordination of
parents are doing; that is preparing the
hand movements to stick and
story sack.
paste objects, etc.)
• The tutor explains what a story sack is
and tells the children that they too are Reading:
going to put something in the story sack.
• Reading, understanding and
• The tutor asks the children to think of following instructions if any
one fun practical / craft activity they can are provided
create and put in the story sack.
• Understand message,
 • The activity obviously has to be situation and context of
connected with the books in their family’s activity if written instructions
story sack. are given
• The activity also has to make storytelling
fun. Writing:
• Writing instructions on how to
• The tutor lets each child design and start use the artifact
working on the activity that he / she • Recalling information /
wants to do. vocabulary and writing this
previously known vocabulary
• The tutor must remind the children that including it in activity
they must include brief written • Spelling and attempting to
instructions on how their artifact will be write new vocabulary to
used otherwise the other people will not include it in activity
know how to use it correctly. • Experimenting with writing by
using previously learnt words
• If the children do not finish the activity • Practicing basic writing skills -
during the session, they can continue – writing from left to right,
working on it at home. writing letters clearly,
stringing individual letters into
words, spacing words, writing
Note one word for each word
This session is separate for parents and children. needed, spelling correctly,
However, the parents can join in during the last 15 writing with minimal help from
– 10 minutes so they can share what they have an adult
been doing with their children and vice versa. This
will also allow effective closure of the session to PSD / Developmental:
take place in a more pleasant way for the • Following and giving
participants. instructions
 • Practicing discussion and
listening skills
• Developing communication
and turn taking skills
• Sharing and co-operating
• Developing imagination and
creativity
• Developing co-ordination
• Developing manipulation
skills
• Developing group skills
• Associating learning with fun

4.10 p.m. Closure:

5 minutes Distributing the home link-up activity

• Concluding activity • Cushions or other
• At home, parents and children continue • Review of things learnt during seating
to work on preparing a story sack. the session • Handouts with
• They finish working on the artifact and • Establishing the session’s activity instructions
see if they want to change or add home link-up activity (if necessary)
anything to their plans.
• Parents and children also practice
reading the books that are going to be in
the story sack.

In Portfolio:

The artifact that is going to be part of the story sack.