Story by children - The Magic Tiger and The Two Children

General tips

Strategy :Wait for the child to react to a picture or cutout without being prompted in any way .

St sebastian’s  12. 7. 16

Class I. On seeing a picture of Geteppo carving Piniocchio out of wood. “ Oh  engineer. Robot banachhey”

Strategy: Using mime  to dramatise stories

4.1.14

Sundeep Kothari , a mime artist who is deaf taught the children how to  mime “walking”, “running” and “drinking tea.” He asked the children – Rana, Rajesh abd Abhishek to make up  a story with these actions  

The story : (with help from Sundeep) People walking. See a teashop. They start running towards it.  They ask for tea.  Pay money, Take tea cup from the tea seller. Sip. Tea very hot. Drink from the saucer.  Happy.

8.1.14

Mime is very popular with the children.  On Feb 8, the mothers also participated. The stories were from the VAANI story cards. “The girl and the umbrella:, “Dadaji has a fall”. Women filling water get chased by a cow”, “Buying a TV”.     

Sundeep demonstrates one story at a time. He mimes each character and makes every child follow him making sure that each child is able to mime all the characters.    

Some ideas for Storytime acitivities

3.5.15    Cut outs may be used to tell stories and recite rhymes. 

Show the children one or two familiar cut outs (put them on the flannel board or on the table in front of the children). Tell a story (make it up if necessary) and then use a rhyme . Make up the rhyme

                                        Or

ask the children to tell a story or recite a poem using these pictures /cut outs.  They may repeat a story or poem which they have already heard or else they may create one of their own 

Using stories written by children of other STORYTIME groups.

 Rajesh and Ayan (about 11 years old) of the Rajarhat St Jude Centre were present for this session. Of the two stories told at this session one was the brainchild of Bikesh (!0,) Ajit (10), Dheeraj (9) and Anand (6) of “Anando.” They haveconceptualised the story, scripted it  into a play by and have called it  “Do dost aur ek bhoot” (Two friends and a ghost)

The play

One day two bored friends decide to go for a walk in the forest.

First friend : I’m so bored. Let’s do something interesting.

Second friend : Idea! Let’s go to the forest for a walk .   

First fried: Great idea. We’ll take a gun incase we come across some wild animals. 

Second friend: I’ll take my torch and a bottle of water.

They walk and walk and walk. They see a large old house a short distance away.

Second friend: Let’s go and have a look at the house

First friend : OK

As they neared the house, they saw it was really a beautiful old house.  They walked around it . There was no one in the house. The door was locked from outside with a big iron lock

First friend: It’s a beautiful old house.

Second friend: I don’t think any one lives here. See, the door is locked from outside. It’s a solid iron lock.      

First friend : I wonder if this house is haunted

Second friend: Well we’ll soon find out .

First friend:  I’m a little scared

Second friend: Don’t be silly.  There’s no such thing as a ghost. And we

have our guns if we come across wild animals. Come on, let’s try and open the lock

First friend :  (Tries to pen it with a thick wire). Its not opening. We’li have to break it.

Second friend: I’ll blast it open with my gun ………………….There the lock is broken. Let’s go in.

First friend:  Are you sure ?

Second friend:  Oof ! Come on ! Here , hold my hand.

First friend.: Don’t make fun of me. I may be right, after all.

Second friend: “Dhut !” Coward.

They both go in. and look around. They have small torch which doesn’t throw sufficient light.

Suddenly something runs out of a corner, brushes past their legs and dashes under a table.

Both the friends: O help! Ghost !ghost!! (Arre baap re!! Bhoot bhoot!!)

They run our of the house

Second friend. How siily we are. It was only a cat

First friend : Are you sure ?

Second friend : Ofcourse I‘m sure. I saw it. Let’s go back. There may be treasure hidden in that old house.

They go in

First friend. The cat went under the table.

Second friend :Let’s look for it. Give me the torch.

They switch on the torch and look under the table. Suddenly from the back a figure shrouded in white jumps at them shouting “ghost ! ghost !,

The two friends scream in fright and run away.

Ghost : (takes of his white shroud and starts laughing) .

Ha! Ha! Ha! I’m no ghost. I’m an ordinary man. I live here. I don’t want any one to come and live in the grand old house. So I scare those who come here. Ha! Ha! Ha1         

Using stories ……to initiate discussions

• St. Jude Centre Rahjarhat : Children present: Shubhodeep, Rohan, Sandeep (all about 11 – 12 years)

Discussion after story.  Jack and the Beanstalk.  Storyteller: Do you think  all giants are bad ? 

Shubhodeep  (age 11) The giant’s sister was good. She gave Jack food , refuge and protected him from her brother by hiding him .

• Anando , Bijoygarh  . After listending to Jack and the Beanstalk and acting it out (role play).

The story ends with the death of the giant. Jack and his mother take over the castle which was rightfully theirs.

Sometimes the discussion arose from a question or a remark made by the child.  The child inititated the discussion. In other instances the teacher asked questions  or  made remarks that led to a discussion.

Jewish Girls School     Class II

“ What happens to the giant’s wife ?” asked a little girl from Class 2B 

The rest of the class came up with the following answers:

(i) he lived  with Jack and his mother. Because she was good and kind and had saved Jack from the Giant, they look after her well.

(ii)  They built a home for the  Giant’s wife and she  guards the castle so that Jack and his mother are safe.  

·      St Sebastian’s (Jadavpur connector Centre)  Class II

(after the role play)

Question from a little girl  of Class II.  “The giant is dead. What will happen to the giant’s  wife?” She was  good. She gave  Jack food and  saved him from the giant.

Storyteller: What do you think will happen to her ?

The children think for a little while

The same little girl:   She’ll live with Jack and his mother

Some boys :  . Kill her . kill her.  She’s a giant.

A group of girls: . No. She was good and kind. She will live with Jack and his mother.

Story teller : What work will she do ?

A girl student: She’ll clean the house  and help Jack’s mother

Prithvi .,the chubby little boy who played Jack during the role play, “She’ll cook for Jack” 

The children’s spoken  English skills are not reflected here. They are from Bengali speaking homes. But during the role play they are expected to speak in English. They DO. Without hesitation. Mistakes notwithstanding. 

St. Sebastian’s is an English medium school and children are expected to speak in English. However they are from Bengali speaking homes and prefer to converse in Bengali. I was requested by the Principal and teachers to try and encourage the children to speak in English  during storytime. Role play sessions were ideally suited to this.

This worked at the Jewish Girls’ school too. In this school almost all the

·      The Jewish Girls’ School: Class II. Discussion after a story telling session On Snow White

Storyteller: So …. Who did you like the best ?

Many voices: The hunstsman.

Storyteller: Why ?

Answer  by a group: He was good. He did not kill Snow White.

One voice : The dwarfs. They loved Snow White

Another voice: The animals .

Story teller: Why ?

Answer: They looked after Snow White when she was alone in the forest.

Another answer: They helped her to find a house and clean up the house.

(Note: There were no takers for Snow White !!)

·      St Sebastian’s (Jadavpur connector Centre)  Class III B

(after the role playing Toontooni  aar napit. )

Story teller: Suppose the mosquitoes didn’t help Toontooni ?

A girl : (in Bangla only) They would go to the King of Mosquitoes

A boy: (in Bangla) : The king of human of beings didn’t help , why would the king of mosquitoes help?

Another boy : Toontooni will be in pain.

Story teller : All her life ?

A girl : She’ll die .

Shagnik : (In English). No. toontooni has long beak. He will take out the 

thorn himself.

Raina  Dasgupta of Class IIIA gave the same answer as Shagnik of Class III B but individually in her own  class.

There was an addition by another child: (In Bangla) One should do out one’s own work. (Nijer kaaj nijey kora uchit)

The sessions in Classes III A and B are taken separtately.  

St Jude’s Rajarhat.Sept 3, 2015

After a session on the “Ramayan’ with   Sharad (about 14 years ) Uma and Sandeep (about 12 years) . The children asked for the Ramayan to be told from the beginning. So the story started with the Shravan Kumar (Sindhu in Bengali) and the curse on Dasharath and ended with the defeat of Ravan. The war was not discussed in detail

At the end of story, the story teller asked the kids who they thought was responsible for the war.

Uma (in Bangla): Sita

ST: why do you thinks so ?

Uma: If she hadn’t insisted on getting the golden deer, Ram wouldn’t have gone away.

Sharad is Nepali but speaks Hindi  :  Bhagwan Ram was also responsible.

Uma: Why ?

Sharad: Because he knew the deer was not a real deer. He warned Sita about it and yet he went after it !

Sandip: Sarupnaka. She wanted to marry Lakshman

Sharad :   She only wanted to marry him.  He needn’t have married her. There was  no need to cut off he nose and ears.  That was the reason Ravan  took away Sita. He took revenge for what Lakshman did to hi wife.  

Uma : Kaukeyi and Manthara was responsible.

Sharad :  Raja Dasarath shouldn’t have listened to them. He was the King. If Ram was required to be King for the good of the kingdom, he should have been made king.  

ST: But Dasarath  had given Kaikeyee his word, A king can’t break his word 

Sharad: He should see which is more important. The good of his people or his word to his wife.

It was interesting to note tha no one held Ravan responsible for the war. 

17.11. 2015 . Ramayan at St Jude’s Thakurpukur .     

As at  St Jude’s Rajarhat ,the session ended with the storyteller asking the children  who they thought was responsible for the war.

Jit (about 12 years) “:  Sita

ST:  Why?

Jit: She didn’t listen to Lakshman and she left the house. She shouldn’t have left the house. If she had stayed inside, Ravan would’ t have caught her.

Amar: (9 years)   Sarupnakha. She wanted to  marry Ravan. 

Suman (about 13 years): He should  have told her that he didn’t want to marry her. Why did he cut off her ear and nose ?

Amar :  Ram and Lakshman shouldn’t have chased the deer and left Sita alone

ST:  But Lakshman didn’t want to go. Sita forced him

Amar :  he should have told her that Ram had told him not to leave her alone and that he would obey only Ram    

    

29.9.15 St Sebastian . Class IV  “The Tailor and the Haunted Church “.

Question from a child: Why did the rich man want the tailor to work in a haunted church.

Answer from a classmate. :Because he had killed a man who had turned in to a ghost. The rich man wanted to see if the ghost would take revenge on him by killing people he (th ricj man) knew .

Another answer (from two children  a girl and a boy:the ric man wanted to see if the tailor was brave.

My question to Classes IV nd V. When the ghost came out from the ground , the tailor got scared. But he finished stitching the trews by using big stitches. The rich man inspected the trews before paying for them but he  did not notice the big stitches.  Why ?

No answer from Class V but a child from Class IV said, “maybe the ghost helped the tailor. He did magic and made the stitches small ”

 ST: Why would the ghost help ?

Ans : He liked the tailor .

ST:  What made him like the tailor ?

Slow  response

Ans .  The tailor was  poor but he was brave.

Ans 2. The ghost thought the rich man would not pay the tailor if the stitches were big and ugly so he made the stitches small. 

Comment : The discussion was  “laboured.”  I had to lead the discussion. It wasn’t spontaneous. I think it may be good idea change the story a little (tweak it) to initiate/facilitate a spontaneous by the children.

4.11.15

St Sebastian: Classes  IV & V

After  “Alladin and the Wonderful Lamp”

·      A girl (Class IV): Wasn’t  Alladin’s mother tense because Alladin had gone off with an uncle whom he didn’t know ? (Allahdin er mayer tension hoi ni ?

ST:  That’s a good thought. What do you think ?(to the class)

A boy: But she knew the uncle had taken Alladin to fond a job.      

The little girl didn’t look satisfied with the answer

·      ST:  Suppose the ring was not magic and there was no genie of the ring. How would Alladin get our ot the cave?

·      A chorus: he would rub the lamp ?

ST:  But he didn’t know the lamp was magical and that a genie would ome out ? Why would he rub the lamp ?

Ans: He would be crying and rubbing the lamp as he called for his mother

ST: Is that a possibility ?

Chorus: YES!

·      ST:  Another problem ….. The Princess gives the Uncle tea with sleeping powder in it. BUT The powder doesn’t work and he doesn’t fall asleep, how would Alladin get hold of the lamp ?

Ans: He would rub the ring and call the Genie of the ringand ask him to get the lamp from the uncle .  

St. Sebastian’s   18.11.15

The Golden Goose. Class II

Comment

The children in this class need to learn to listen and focus on a story for atleast  15 minutes. Their listening skills have to be inmroved.

 ST: Who, do you think, is the most important character in the story ?

Abhilasha Mamumdar:  The old man who gave Dumling the goose

ST:  Let’s find another important character.

Several children including Abhilasha:  Dumling

ST:  Let’s think of a character without whom there would be no story…

Abhilasha: (after some thought)  The golden goose   

ST: YES……do you all agree ?

Children: Yes. 

3.12.15

Rajarhat

The story of Ranga (the elephant) and Monu (the monkey).

Dipak: (in Hindi). Bandar n apni poonch se usko utha leta. Hathi ki kya zarrorat th ?

ST: Kaise ?

Dipak:  Poonch paani mein daal deta, Monu (the monkey’s name usko pakadke nikal aata. 

Another child:  Bandar khud gadhhey meing gir jata. Chota hai na ?

Dipak: itnay bandar hain. Sub lok hathi ko khinch leta.

Respect what the Child says .Children understand  and know more than we (teachers) realise

Jewish Girls School.  11.12. 2015.  Class IIA

While telling them the Christmas Story (birth of Christ), I asked the children if they knew the story about Id (almost al the children are Muslim). One little girl answered in English, “after we fast , God gives us one day to celebrate.” Mrs. Ahmed, the Senior Coordinator of the school  said it was a very good explanation of Id.

REACH  Project ALO     8.12.2015

Preetika,  age : (Satavisha’s class of Friday afternoon)

While telling them the story “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”, I was showing them the pictures. Very English pictures.  Preetika pointed to the chimney and asked “eta ki?” (what is this ?)I explained as simply as I could. “ota diye dhonwa beroye” (the smoke  comes out of that). Then she pointed to the window of the attic and again “eta ki?”
“ Eta hochhe chhader ghorer janala” ( this is the window of the room on the room).    

Children DO observe unfamiliarities. Often, they don’t express these observations. So doubts and queries remain dormant in their little minds. Its important that story tellers  make a note of the unfamiliar objects and situations and prompt the child’s  observations on them.   This will also help the child to gradually develop concepts about objects  and events outside their immediate environment

St. Jude’s Thakurpur  15.12. 2015

Panta Buri’ story.

Rabi-ul: (in Bengali) Goborer jaygay kolar khosh holay bhalo hoto.

(it would have been better to use a banana skin instead of cow dung)

ST: keno ?

Robi-ul: Gobaray ki gondho !! (Cowdung is so smelly)

St. Sebastian.  Class V . 29.6.16

At the beginning of the story telling session, there was a request from a girl to change her place.  The boy who sat next to her “disturbed” her, she said.   She had requsted her class teacher but whe had refused.     

The discussion moved on to  Discipline , what it was and the need for it. The children agreed that rules were important and following them was  equally important.   However there were two objections and these  were common to almost all the children.

(1)         Why was it a rule  to speak in English instead of Bengali in the school  

(2)         Why was in necessary to sit next to the same person

          throughout the year.

A discussion followed. The ST was the moderator. The consensus was

·      English was the language of the working world and a language that was used in most countries 

·      Most  text books for higher education were in English

·      In India a knowing English  and speaking it fluently is

     necessary to get a good job.

·      We have to learn to get along with everyone. It doesn’t matter who sits next to us, we have to try and adjust (maniye nitey hobay)

The children agreed that the two rules were in their interest (amader bhalor jonye) and that they should accept them (amader menay nitay hobay).

Story : The elephants and the mice

ST: Which is a better way of solving a  problem ? A fight or a negotiation ? appened if the mice had decided to fight with the elephants ?

Children’s opinion : Its better ot try and sort things out in a friendly way rathhr that fight 

St. Sebastian Class IV -   29.6.16

The Rapid reader for Class IV is “Robin Hood” Since I didn’t have the reader with me (I will buy it next week) I told a story for the Folk Tales of Uttarakhand “ The Wishing Ring.”  After the role play, Ayan Naskar 2 (who played th second son), asked “What happened to the sons”? Before I could think of an answer Niladri Ancharya answered, “They became businessmen . Ma’am, cheleyra jokhon baba ke taka pherot dilo, oder baba bollayn  , “Good boy , you will be a good business man.”  

A lesson for the story teller : Niladri is very talkative child and always up to mischief but he DOES listen . The Story has to be interesting