As you know the children have been learning our version of the traditional story of ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’. Each day they have listened to members of the Burrow staff reciting the story. The words have been embellished with some of our story making actions. We’ve used small world toys to represent the characters in the story and have encouraged the children to revisit the story in their independent play. We’ve also linked this to our Forest School activities and our physical play opportunities under the archway. (See Lauren’s blog).
Gradually many of the children in the Burrow have gained the confidence to listen, watch, copy and join in with retelling the story. They have also been developing their mark making skills through the use of story maps. These are simple pictorial versions of the story created by the adults and the children usually working together. The children enjoy using a range of tools and sometimes give meaning to their marks.
This method of active story making is called the Imitation stage. Learning a story through imitation is quite simple when a multi-sensory approach is used and the story is visited daily. Young children draw upon this bank of language in their own talk and play quite naturally. The stories need to be known so well, that they enter the child’s long term memory.
Story making is built upon the principle that to write language the child needs to have heard and spoken, before writing. At least 6-7 retellings are needed to embed a new story into children’s long term memories so don’t worry when your child wants to hear the same story again and again.
Much of the power of story making in the early years comes from its multi-sensory nature. There are no barriers and it is all inclusive, so young children with very little language, EAL (English as an additional language) or children with additional needs can join in.
I’ve included our text and actions to help you share this enjoyable activity with your child.
Have fun and let us know how you get on.
Soraya
The 3 Billy Goats Gruff
Once upon a time (two hands big circle) there was not 1, not 2 but 3 (show numbers of fingers) Billy Goats Gruff who lived beside a sparkling (opening and closing hands alternately) stream.
Early one morning (sleeping on hands then open one hand overhead) they spied (looking through hand binoculars) a lush green meadow over a rickety bridge.
Unfortunately (two thumbs sticking up big sweeping movement as thumbs end up facing down) an ugly troll lived underneath.
First (1 finger) Little Billy Goat Gruff went trip trapping over the bridge
“Who’s that trip trapping over my bridge?” roared the ugly troll (gruff voice)
“Tis I, Little Billy Goat Gruff, I’m going to the meadow to make myself fat” (use hand to make fat tummy action)
“Well I’m going to gobble you up!” (gruff voice)
“No,no,no, wait for my older brother, he’s much bigger than me” (wag finger then point over shoulder then show height with hand)
“Ok kid, move along” (make ok hand gesture then use thumb to indicate moving along)
Next (two hands roly-poly) Middle sized Billy Goat Gruff went trip trapping over the bridge
“Who’s that trip trapping over my bridge?” roared the ugly troll (gruff voice)
“Tis I, Middle Sized Billy Goat Gruff, I’m going to the meadow to make myself fat” (use hand to make fat tummy action)
“Well I’m going to gobble you up!” (gruff voice)
“No,no,no, wait for my older brother, he’s much bigger than me” (wag finger then point over shoulder then show height with hand)
“Ok kid, move along (make ok hand gesture then use thumb to indicate moving along)
Next (two hands roly-poly) Big Billy Goat Gruff went trip trapping over the bridge
“Who’s that trip trapping over my bridge?” roared the ugly troll (gruff voice)
“Tis I, Middle Sized Billy Goat Gruff, I’m going to the meadow to make myself fat” (use hand to make fat tummy action)
“Well I’m going to gobble you up!” (gruff voice)
“Oh no you’re not” said Big Billy Goat Gruff and he charged and he charged and he charged.
He butted the ugly troll into the air (look skyward) and he landed in the stream with an enormous SPLASH! (loud)
He was never seen again. (one hand above eye looking to distance)
In the end, the 3 Billy Goats Gruff strolled over the bridge whenever they liked! (walking action)
The end. (2 hands closing a book)