Posted on 23rd April, 2020, under Research
What is a story but a tale about something that happened, to something or someone at a specific time and place, which ended in somewhat of a conclusion or solution. Maybe a tale with a start, middle and end? Possibly a tale that starts at the end and works backwards? Perhaps, a story is anything you want it to be (as long as you can make sense of it). Traditionally storytelling is the interactive process of a teller relaying a story to an individual or a group of listeners. Most often using an exaggerated tone and gesture, and when appropriate asking the listeners to share in the creation of the story by thinking about possible outcomes or solutions. Children have a remarkable ability to use imagination, fantasy and storytelling as a way to make sense of their world.
Higher mental functioning is active when we start to think, imagine and create mental pictures in our minds. When children hear stories of dramatic encounters and terrible conflict, they begin to understand many ways of resolving a variety of problems without having to experience the distress. For example, in the story ‘Cinderella’ her two sisters were so mean to her, and the wicked step-mother was simply enraged with jealousy! What ask’s the educator to the class would you do if you were the sister? What other choice could the step-mother make? Why did Cinderella let them treat her so badly? …….. Stories are the most exciting lessons
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Dyslexia is a word used to describe a learning disability that commonly affects reading, writing and related skills, such as the use of language, articulation and grammar. However, this blog will not examine reading, writing or language use. Instead, it highlights the impact of dyslexia on self-esteem. Understanding how dyslexia…...
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Teaching thinking in the classroom Socrates (c.470-399BCE), an early Greek philosopher and teacher, suggested: Thinking is enhanced not by answers but by questions Students learn best when supported to analyse and evaluate concepts Deep questions challenge our assumptions Educators must model intellectual inquiry To summarise a complex topic, all humans…...
Read More23rd May 2023
Scéalta Blog In this week’s Scéalta, Catherine O’Reilly, PhD research student at Trinity College Dublin, discusses how critical thinking relates to early childhood and how we can use storytelling to give children in Early Years settings the same opportunities as older children to learn how to communicate, collaborate, be creative…...
Read More27th April 2023
Have you ever wondered how educators decide to teach the way they teach and why they use the practices they adopt in the classroom to support learning and development? There are many ways to answer this question; your answer will be influenced by your knowledge of the educational system and…...
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