Contributed by Autumn Vavoso, Hillbrook Learning Coach
In kindergarten, we have been exploring the elements of a story. Through exploration and shared experiences, the children gained an understanding that a story can be written or told; a story is better when it is shared; a story can have pictures or no pictures at all.
We continued our work on sharing our stories in several formats. Members of the kindergarten team, Mr. Robinson and Ms. Covington, and I introduced the students to the idea of bookmaking. We made books with color covers, where each color represented a specific number of pages that would be in the book. The blue books have six pages to support a longer story, while yellow book has two pages if you just want to tell a short story. The children were able to select the appropriate size book that would match the idea they wanted to develop, personalizing each of their experiences in an impactful way. Students were also to use their understanding of story to draw, write, or tell their story in their work. These books will now be part of our literacy exploration time. Students who enjoyed this experience will be able to continue to make books, tell, and share stories at their own pace.
In addition, kindergarten teacher Ms. Collins and kindergarten resident teacher Ms. Kreck also encouraged students to make a tactile representation of their name with a variety of dried beans. Students made personal choices about the patterns or style they would use to create their name. The children then engaged in using the different beans to create a picture and tell a story about their creation. Ms. Collins and Ms. Kreck worked diligently to capture each child’s personal expression and story. The books and stories created in our literacy workshops will be gems to share with parents and our community.