Dear Reader, I know I left off with a casual and whimsical statement that I was going to go and play with the kids (three grandkids ages 3-6) and then reflect and pontificate on the power of play.
And we did play. All day - We played indoors and out. We were cats. We were dogs. We were moms, dads and babies. We made a snow fort and had a battle. We created a snow cave-space beside a rocky area that only very skinny short people could crawl into and it was dark and very scary..so we got a flashlight. Then it was New Year's Eve and we walked and tobogganed to the village holding glow lights. Mount Washington Ski Resort put on a massive fireworks display. The fireworks were so close to us that Jayden felt obligated to push the sparks back thus protecting his three year old cousin, Ari.
But when we got home (what a day-what a night!) and settled into story-time...that is when I observed brilliance beyond my wildest dream. I witnessed the play-literacy interface...The book and the kids merged into a play-based conversation. And because we had a conversation we were connected and we understood each other and we uncovered big ideas together and laughed, learned and loved each other.
This is what I saw. Blue is grandma reading the words or prompting Red is kids talking Green is Translation or Revealed Schema or Zone of Proximal Development Defined
Mo Willems That is NOT a Good Idea
COVER
We read the cover picture. We make a habit of pretending we are really in the picture
I say "Oh my Fox is giving duck a flower."
Kids notice insincere grin and incongruence over Fox being nice to Duck
Kids say "Don't take it...Look at that grin...He's up to trouble!"
I say "What are the chicks shouting to their mother?"
Kids say "No Don't take it"
I point to the words on the page and we all say This is NOT a good idea really loud.
Next Scene-
Fox has dumb grin and tips his hat toward Duck. Body language says he is trying to be ever so polite...Duck casually takes note...
I read "Excuse me. Would you care to go for a stroll?"
Ethan acts out these words with same hat sweeping gesture. Ari pretends to be Duck and puts her hands to her face and mines "Who me? You talkin to me?? bats her eyelashes, (she is three.)
Kids know how to read body language and how it contributes to the conversation. They are making all sorts of inferences here but I won't get too excited about that yet!
Next Scene
I say "What luck! Dinner! " (These words are spread across two pages.)
Kids say "What luck mmmmmm (lick their lips) Yummy dinner (slobber)"
Kids notice that rabbit and duck are peering out from half-closed blinds as if they know trouble is a- brewing...I sure didn't notice these guys, but they are old friends because the kids know all of Mo's books and recognize his drawings instantly. I didn't notice this, but that is not unusual. Adults don't seem to pay attention.
Next Scene
Fox invites Duck to go for a walk in the dark woods. He has a smile and the words deep and dark are not bolded so I just say them nice and polite. Kids definitely have noted deep dark woods is a scary thing but they know about staying in character. (Cool, calm and foxy)
Each time Duck responds to Foxy's invitations with a positive "Sure", or "Sounds like fun.", or "I would love to" and then the kids chant out the phrases with tone and intonation.
Meanwhile the chicks are going berserk. They are doing everything to get across their message
That is REALLY REALLY REALLY NOT a good idea!
The kids know that the emotions are high because of their understanding of the DANGER schema they have about fox and duck....but hmm ...the text the is huge...and they also know that this is Mo's way of being part of the conversation. How do they already know these text features? And how nice for me I get to keep zooming in on key words like REALLY and NOT... (teaching moment for word recognition but that is SO not the big ticket item here. Ari starts vigorously stabbing at the words REALLY REALLY and NOT to drive the point home.
Next Scenes
Fox has arrived at his kitchen and Duck seems unnaturally calm to me.
Kids " Its cooking time. Ari points to the flame
I say " Would you care to boil some water for soup?
Kids say "Look she's hungry, She's licking her lips."
Now we all act dramatic like and say "Certainly...You know I do LUUUV soup so much!"
Now they know this page and start getting loud. On the other page Mo has more chicks getting in on the chant. (I didn't notice how many but the kids started counting how many and they noticed one had a shell on his head.) They are patient with me and help me understand that there are five chikcs now and last time there were only four...so clearly Duck's family is growing as we speak. This clues me into the thought they know that chicks come out from an egg and the youngest can be differentiated from his older siblings by the egg on his head. (Life cycle knowledge at three and four? Is this possible)
Next Scene
Now this page is brilliant. There is only one word in the dialogue box and of course it is the word "You". Every aspect of this page is fully understood. Albeit there was a quiet pause in the room while everything was getting processed. Then the smiles and the big bravado talk... I knew it all the time... The ingredient is fox. Look at Duck's face, the determination the "Now I have had enough of you ...you sneaky fox. You should have never underestimated me. ' (The words "Oh my" nail down that Fox has now grasped the situation.)
Last Pages
All Six chicks all are holding spoons and one of the chicks states "Well we did try to warn him".
Kids say " They knew all the time...Now everybody is going to get soup...
OMG! This Mo Willems NAILS IT! He just took us into a play-literacy interface. The kids were right at or just a tad above their Zone of Proximal Development...in other words they were comfortably within their developmental area where they could celebrate and frolic because it all made sense.
Play is learning. Play is conversation. Story is play, story is conversation. The Play/Literacy interface is a perfect platform for learning.
"Feed Me -Love Me -Read to Me"
I think this is a Mem Fox pearl, but I could be wrong.
Well Dear Reader, I guess I am saying that story is play and I am grateful for the likes of Mo Willem's because his brilliant book gave me a window into the thinking of my grandkids.
Let me know what you think,
In friendship,
Donna Klockars
No comments:
Post a Comment