the three billy goats gruff

There was such a shared excitement to perform the Three Billy Goats Gruff during our Reading Workshop the other week, that I moved a copy of The Three Billy Goats Gruff to our block space, providing an invitation for children to build bridges and play out their favorite story book during academic choice.

One group of children used paper and popsicle sticks from our art shelf to make puppets- representing the four characters from the story. Keeping these puppets in our block space, children have been inviting their peers to leave their choices for a little community performance. It has been one of our favorite new experiences and has been an opportunity for students to feel empowered as readers in a different and creative way. Following each performance there has been an incredible applause and cheer from the audience.

There are many academic and social components to this experience. When acting our stories children are thinking about and representing the characters, using expression to sound like the characters, reading more and more of the story, following the sequence of events in the story, practicing being in front of an audience and projecting their voice, taking initiative of their learning and negotiating with their peers, working together, and sharing a love for play and literacy. Following their organized performance on Friday, one child said that we could try this with all of our favorite story books! The most powerful learning experiences come from the students we work with.

I am reminded of a quote; The children are the curriculum.